Barkley Elementary News
Weekly Updates from Dr. Nic 11-10-23
UPDATES!!
Hello Barkley Families!
I hope you all had a wonderful week! We sure did here at Barkley!
The Barkley Mural is really coming along! The students are working so hard. We can't wait till it is finished and we can show it off!
We also honored our STARS of the Month! See below for the winners! :)
Next week, is our Teacher Raffle! See below for the options.
Don't forget to sign up for conferences! We look forward to meeting with you!
SNACKS - Since the sale of snacks, we have noticed that our STARS are not eating their entire lunch as they have previously, opting to throw half away and buy a treat. If you could be sure to talk to your child about the importance of finishing their lunch before they buy their snack that would be super helpful!
Reminder: Please be sure to follow morning arrival procedures to ensure the safety of all students. If you are dropping a student off by car you must use Quick Street. Please do not park in the bus lane on Third Avenue. We appreciate your help.
This update contains a lot of important information so please carefully review.
Well Wishes,
Danielle Nicolino, Ed.D.
Principal
Barkley Elementary School
VETERANS DAY CEREMONY - MONDAY
STARS OF THE MONTH
Congratulations to our ClassDojo Class of the Month: Ms. Williams 4th Grade Homeroom! Our fantastic fourth grade class gets to keep the ClassDojo Flag and the ClassDojo Stuffy for the month!
2nd Grade
- Murphey Nowlan – Ferguson
- Dylan Morgan – Simmons
- Dylan Icep Lopez – Sidlo
- Zeke Torres – Haines
3rd Grade
- Caleb McGeehin – Holler
- Isabelle Hulmes – Majcher
- Allisson Lopez Cruz – Battista
- Davion Jones – Kryder
4th Grade
- Caleb Flores Rodriguez -Huxta
- Ella Torres – Hyland
- Zyna Mirza – Williams
5th Grade
- Owen Potter – Chadwick
- Yosibel Rodriguez Orosco -Wismer
- Zaria Duefield – Williams
- Evelyn Perez Martinez – Lovell
SECOND STEP! Lesson 8!
This week in Second Step: Lesson 8 will be delivered on Thursday, November 16. We have started a new unit on Emotion Management. See below for information on this unit.
- Emotion Management: Students learn how to identify emotions in themselves and others and apply strategies to manage their emotions.
You’ll receive weekly communications from me to help you reinforce Second Step language, skills, and goals at home. If you have any questions about Second Step Elementary, please don’t hesitate to contact me for more information. Thank you for your support as we work to build a safe and supportive school community!
During this unit your child(ren) will be working on: Click the Grade Level Below!
This week, chat with your child(ren) about:
- Grade 2: Help Yourself Feel Better: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to use positive self-talk to help themselves feel better when they’re upset, disappointed, or worried. Try This at Home: Ask your child what they want to tell themselves when they’re having a tough day. Encourage them to use positive self-talk at home.
- Grade 3: Take a Break: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how, when, and where to take a break in different situations as a way to manage a strong emotion. Try This at Home: Discuss where and how your child can take a break at home. Then ask your child how they could take a break in place, for example, in the car or at the grocery store.
- Grade 4: How to Rethink: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn about questions they can ask to rethink situations and they’ll practice asking these questions using made-up stories. Try This at Home: Ask your child, “What questions could you ask yourself to rethink a situation?” (Questions might include, “What happened?” “Has this ever happened to anyone else?” and “What’s something good that happened?”) Talk about how those questions can help them think differently about a situation.
- Grade 5: Planning for Change: In this week’s lesson, your child will practice breaking down situations that feel big and unmanageable into smaller, more manageable pieces. They will also practice identifying a small change someone could make to manage their strong emotions the next time a situation occurs. Try This at Home: Tell your child about a recurring situation in your life that typically causes you to feel a strong emotion, like stress or anger. Ask your child what you can change to make the situation better, and why they would suggest that change.
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
CONFERENCE SIGN UP IS OPEN!
Please see below for information on Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please note that you will sign up for your HOMEROOM teacher for a conference.
As we approach the end of marking period 1, PASD has important dates to note related to report cards and parent-teacher conferences.
Monday, October 23: Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling open in Skyward (6 pm)
- Note the default scheduling option is for an in-person conference.
- If you have a child in elementary school, and you want a virtual or phone conference, please email your child’s teacher.
Directions for scheduling:
1) Log in to Skyward.
2) Click on the “Teacher Conferences” button on the left side of your screen.
3) Click the “All Conferences” tab towards the center of the page.
4) Click the “Select a Time” tab. You will be scheduled with your child's homeroom teacher.
5) Click on “Select” for the timeslot you wish to reserve. Then click Save.
6) A confirmation email will be sent to you.
7) Directions for HS and MS parents to switch to virtual or phone conference
Friday, November 3: End of Marking Period 1
Thursday, November 16: Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling closes in Skyward at 4 pm. By this time, teachers will send a Zoom or Teams link to parents who requested a virtual meeting, or they will call parents at the scheduled conference time. Teachers will use the email or phone number listed in Skyward.
Friday, November 17: Report Cards available in Skyward
Monday, November 20 - Tuesday, November 21: Parent-Teacher Conferences 8:00 am – 7:15 pm (no conferences scheduled from 12:00 noon – 12:45 pm and 4:30 pm – 5:40 pm)
No school for students.
Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, November 24: Schools closed
If you do not have access to Skyward or if you have any questions, please contact your child’s school. We look forward to seeing you in-person or virtually very soon!
Sincerely,
Jessica Kilmetz Ed.D
Assistant Superintendent
HSA ANNOUNCEMENTS
TEACHER RAFFLE
The annual teacher raffle starts next week! Raffle tickets can be purchased by completing this form (link below) and sending payment of cash or check made payable to Barkley Home and School OR students may purchase tickets in person in the school lobby between 8:45 a.m.-9:30 a.m. all week. Raffle winners will be announced on Friday afternoon before the fall break!
1 Lovell, Chinese Tasting for Two
2 Huxta, Bowling Trip
3 Wismer/Lovell, Reads and Company
4 Dr. Nic, Manicures
5 Dengler, Pretzels
6 Kryder, Classroom Concert
7 Blackburn, Rubik’s Cube
8 McLaughlin, Pretzels
9 Simmons, Fire Truck Ride
10 Adams/Dunleavy, Sports & Games
11 Holler & Battista, Dunkin’ Donuts Breakfast
12 Dougherty, Pretzels & a Yearbook
13 Second Grade Team, Movie and a Snack
14 Miller/Florida, Painting and a snack
15 Chadwick, Dungeons & Dragons
16 Williams (L.), Painting
17 Krajnik/Miller, Breakfast
18 Hanebury, Popcorn & Games
19 Devenney, Taylor Swift Eras Party
20 Majcher, Games & Snacks
21 Haines, Pickleball
22 Patterson/Weiser, Pizza & Puzzles
23 Regis, Art & Hot Chocolate
TEACHER RAFFLE VOLUNTEERS!
We are still looking for volunteers to help sell tickets for the Teacher Raffle, Monday November 13th through Friday, November 17th. If you are able to help it is very much appreciated!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B45A4AF2EABFA7-45587079-teacher
BARKLEY FACULTY/STAFF CONFERENCE DINNER
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR OUR TEACHERS! The Barkley HSA is catering dinner for our faculty and staff on Monday, November 20 during conferences. While dinner is covered by the HSA, we are looking for additional donations of items to round out the meal. Families may also choose to donate money towards the event.
Donations can be sent via cash/check made payable to Barkley HSA and sent to the school office OR via Venmo @barkley-hsa.
If you donate items, please send them to the school office by 12 p.m. on Friday, November 17. Non-perishable items may be dropped off Monday morning.
Thank you so much!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B45A4AF2EABFA7-46089672-barkley#/
BOX TOPS
Box Tops for Education! – Did you know you can support Barkley students every time you grocery shop? No clipping or counting required! Download the Box Tops app at BTFE.com, select Barkley as the school you want to support and then scan your receipts (or upload digital ones) after you shop. It’s that easy! For every receipt scanned in the month of October, Barkley will be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 bonus to the school.
CLUBS/ACTIVITIES
Clubs
CLUBS THIS WEEK
- Boys Running Club
- Math Club - 3rd Grade/4th Grade
- Reading Club - 5th Grade
- New Directions Homework Club
Tuesday
- Crescendo
- Math Club - 5th Grade
- Reading Club - 2nd Grade
- New Directions Homework Club
Wednesday
- Crescendo
- Math Club - 3rd Grade/4th Grade
- Reading Club - 5th Grade
- New Directions Homework Club
- Pickleball Club
Thursday
- Crescendo
- Barkley Mural Arts Club: 5th Grade
- Girls Running Club
- Math Club - 5th Grade
- Reading Club - 2nd Grade
- New Directions Homework Club
Friday
- Crescendo
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 5th Grade to Paradise Farms: November 10
- Grades Finalized by End of Day: November 15
- 5th Grade Class Picture/Fall Retake: November 16
- Grades Posted in Skyward: November 17
Parent/Teacher Conferences: November 20 & November 21
No School: November 22, November 23 & November 24
Winter Concert - December 14 @ 6:30
Winter Parties - December 22
Winter Break - December 23-January 1
REOCCURING INFORMATION!
DRINKS, SNACKS, AND BIRTHDAY TREATS!
Drinks: We are seeing a lot of our students bringing in different types of drinks to class.
Please be aware that water is the only drink that is allowed in the classroom environment. If a student would like to have another type of drink for lunch, that is fine, but please be sure that your child only has water for their snack time.
Snack Time: Healthy food choices are so important. Barkley encourages that students bring healthy snacks for snack time! Food such as fruits, vegetables, pretzels, crackers are all good examples of healthy snacks for students. Please refrain from your child bringing candy for their snack time.
Birthday Treats: Due to the many students with allergies and food reactions food items to celebrate student birthdays are not permitted. We are requesting that all birthday recognitions be non-food based. No birthday food treats should be sent to school. We do want to acknowledge student birthdays, but encourage parents to do so in other ways. For example, small items such as pencils or stickers for classmates or the donation of a book to the school or classroom library in honor of a child’s birthday would be appropriate. Thank you for honoring and respecting this request.
CAFETERIA SNACKS
Snack Price List
String Cheese…………$.70
Yogurt…………………….$.90
Bug Bites………………..$.70
Chips ……………………..$1.00
Cookie: ………………….$0.65
Poptarts: ……………….$1.00
Ice Cream: ……………..$1.00
Small Water: ……………………..$0.65
Large Water: ……………………..$1.25
PICK UP PATROL
We still have parents not registered for PickUp Patrol. Please be sure that even if your child rides a bus or is an independent walker, that you still register for PUP. Please see directions below.
Barkley Elementary School will be using PickUp Patrol effective at the start of the year to help us better manage our dismissal process. PickUp Patrol saves time for our office staff, reduces classroom interruptions, and most importantly, adds a layer of safety for our students.
If you have still not received the email please contact Dr. Nic on Remind or at nicolinod@pasd.com.
Use the PUP web app for:
ATTENDANCE: Notify the school office when your child will be absent, arriving late or leaving early. If your child has an early dismissal, please try to indicate that in PUP before 10:30AM.
DISMISSAL CHANGES: Submit changes to your child’s regular dismissal plans.
For example:
- Your child normally rides the bus but is getting picked up today.
- Your child usually goes to aftercare but is leaving early for an appointment.
How it works:
Your child's regular dismissal plan is entered into the system. This is called their Default Plan. Then whenever you have a change to the Default Plan, you’ll submit it through the PUP app. When the change is submitted, the school will be notified, and your child’s teacher will relay the change to them.
Getting started:
1. REGISTER: On August 8, 2023, you will receive a registration email with a link to set up your account.
- The web app is free to parents, and you can use it from your smartphone or computer.
- For easy access, follow the instructions in your registration email for how to add it to your phone’s home screen (PUP is not accessed through the app stores).
2. ENTER DEFAULT PLANS: Once you register, log into your PickUp Patrol account no later than August 25, 2023 to confirm your child’s default dismissal plan. It’s important that you complete this step so that we can accurately dismiss your children.
Notes, emails, or phone calls will be accepted for changes for the first week, but starting September 5, 2023, all changes should be submitted through PickUp Patrol.
Thank you for using PUP to make safety a priority and to ensure our dismissal process is efficient for all our students. If you have any questions, please first check the PUP FAQ page. If you still need help, contact us here in the office.
DEPARTMENTALIZATION FOR ALL GRADES
REMIND
We will be using Remind again this year!
All communication will go through Remind only. Download the app today!
You have an important role in communicating with your child's teacher. Remember that during the school day, teachers are working with students and are directed to limit their communication so that they can teach. If your child's teacher does not respond immediately, trust that they will respond within 24 hours.
In addition, our teachers have families too! Evenings are spent much like yours and I have asked the teachers to take this time with their families and catch up on communication the next day.
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN CHARGE
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
As we prepare for another year of in-person events and activities, we will need parent volunteers. All volunteers will need to be board approved. Please click here to register for board approval. We are planning trips and activities beginning in the fall and look forward to welcoming parent volunteers.
PHANTOM BACKPACKS
TECHNOLOGY
SCHOOL LUNCHES
Free and Reduced cost meals are available for eligible students. If you believe your family is eligible and have not yet applied for the 2023-2024 school year, please visit Free and Reduced Meals - Phoenixville Area School District (pasd.com) to learn more and access the School Café application.
Reminder: if your student was eligible last year, they will continue to be eligible only until October 10, 2023 unless you have received a notice of direct certification or an approved application for 2023-2024 (please check all email folders for determination letters).
If you need assistance completing the application, please contact Alyson Riffey at 484-927-5117/ riffeys@pasd.com or Myra Hernandez at 484-927-5027/ hernandezm@pasd.com. For questions on your application status, please contact Mary Jane Weiss at 484-927-5000 or Weissm@pasd.com.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILD'S REPORT CARD
Understanding Your Child's Report Card - Phoenixville Area School District (pasd.com)
BIRTHDAY TREATS
ARRIVAL PROCEDURES
Please be sure to read through our Arrival Procedures. It is extremely important for the safety of our students, staff, and parents, that we following these guidelines.
Please note: Parents are not permitted inside of the gates to the playground. Please allow your child to walk to their designated line or door on their own.
8:40 a.m. - 8:55 a.m.
Students enter the building through the back playground doors. Students who need breakfast report to the dining room. There will be a Grab and Go breakfast again this year. Once students get their breakfast they will report to their homerooms. Students who are not eating breakfast will report to their classroom and wait for directions from their teacher.
Late Arrival
After 8:55 a.m.
Students must be signed in by a parent
Arrival at 8:40 a.m.
Please drop your child(ren) off on Quick Street. Please note: this is a one-way street. You will need to enter through Second Avenue.
Please do not park or exit your vehicle as we need to keep the flow of traffic moving.
For the safety of our students, please do not drive around the car in front of you.
Bus riders who need to purchase breakfast will be released from the bus when the bus arrives to school.
Arrival Locations
All students will enter the building through the Third Avenue playground doors in the morning. 2nd and 3rd grade students arriving between 8:40-8:55 a.m. will enter through door 3A and report directly to their classroom. 4th and 5th grade students arriving between 8:40 – 8:55 a.m. will enter through door 3D and report directly to their classroom and line-up in the hallway.
Late Students
Students arriving after 8:55 a.m. are late. Parents will need to escort their child(ren) to the front entrance and sign their child(ren) in. The attendance clerk will meet you at the front doors.
Important
Students should not be dropped off at school prior to 8:40 a.m. unless they are participating in a before school activity such as band or chorus. There is no supervision available prior to 8:40 a.m., so please do not drop students off before this time. Students should not be dropped off at the main entrance of the building unless they are late or participating in a before school activity such as band or chorus.
DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
Please remember that if you are picking up your child, you must bring your ID. Your child's safety is important to us, and we must be sure you are the individual that is supposed to be picking up your child. Please help us keep your child safe by bring your ID for us to check. Thank you!
- 3:39 p.m. - Dismissal Announcements
- 3:40 p.m. - Independent Walkers are dismissed (students must live within walking distance and have parental permission to walk home independently). Students will exit through the playground doors.
- 3:41 p.m. - 2nd grade parent pickup students will be dismissed. Students with last names beginning with A-M will exit through the front doors and students with last names beginning with N-Z will exit through the Quick Street doors.
- 3:42 p.m. - 3rd grade parent pickup students will be dismissed. Students with last names beginning with A-M will exit through the front doors and students with last names beginning with N-Z will exit through the Quick Street doors.
- 3:43 p.m. - 4th & 5th grade parent pick-up students will be dismissed. Students with last names beginning with A-M will exit through the front doors and students with last names beginning with N-Z will exit through the Quick Street doors.
- 3:44 p.m. - Bus dismissal will begin.
- 3:50 p.m. - Buses will exit school.
- 3:50 p.m. - Students participating in the YMCA after care program and clubs/extra-curricular activities will be dismissed.
* Please note that these are approximate dismissal times
Barkley Elementary School
Email: nicolinod@pasd.com
Website: https://bes.pasd.com/
Location: 320 2nd Avenue, Phoenixville, PA, USA
Phone: 484-927-5300