• March dates added for D2 sign up!
• April dates added to lunch sign up!

• Friday, March 11th - End of 3rd Nine Weeks
  
• Tuesday, March 15th - PTO Spirit Night - Chick-fil-A Patton Creek Drive Thru ONLY 5-8; tell them you are with BPES
• Tuesday, March 15th - PTO Meeting 9:30 AM
• Wednesday, March 16th - 3rd Nine Weeks Report Cards Sent Home
• Saturday, March 19th - PTO Spring Outdoor Cleanup 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Monday, March 28th - Friday, April 1st - No School - Spring Break
• Saturday, April 9th - PTO Spirit Day - Bluff Park Ice Cream - ALL Day; tell them you are with BPES

• Friday, April 15th - No School

Hello Bluff Park Parents,

We have some very exciting news to share with you!!

Starting on March 1st, we are opening the lunchroom to parents and other VIAs (Very Important Adults). It will look a little different than in the past. Kindergarten, 4th, and 5th grade will eat in the cafeteria on odd-numbered days (March 1, March 3, March 5, etc.); 1st, 2nd, and 3rd; on even-numbered days (March 2, March 4, March 6, etc.) There are a few procedures that must be followed in order for this to work for everyone involved. Here are the details:

• A reservation must be made. This will happen via SignupGenius.com. There are only two reservation spots per class, per day they are in the cafeteria.

• Only one parent or VIA will be allowed at one time (no siblings). This will allow for more parents to enjoy this new opportunity. All adults must be on the student’s check-out list and you will be expected to show your driver’s license at the front office upon arrival.

• Arrival time should be five minutes before your student’s lunch time.

• Students will be expected to leave the cafeteria promptly with their class.

• Due to state regulations, fast food, take-out, etc., is not allowed. If you decide to eat what is offered at school, you will use your student’s lunch number. Please email Ms. Bridget, our cafeteria manager, to make her aware of your lunch order - bthomas@hoover.k12.al.us. Click here to access the lunch menu.

• A sibling enrolled at Bluff Park will not be allowed to join a different lunch period.

• Until further notice, only sign up once per month.

We are thrilled to open our doors up to parents. In order for this opportunity to work, all of the above protocols must be followed. Our hope is for this plan to work flawlessly, and to eventually reopen the cafeteria to 5 days per week for students and visitors.

Click here to sign up!

1st Grade - Luke

2nd Grade - Mahalia

3rd Grade - Reagan

4th Grade - Jillian

5th Grade - Everett

Please stay up to date with BPES PTO via our Instagram page and our Facebook page!

PTO MEETING is NEXT Tuesday, March 15th at 9:30am in the cafeteria. As always, a Zoom link will be posted on the PTO Facebook page. Please note - we have a few PTO board members who will be rolling off this year as well as some committee heads. If you have any questions about PTO nominations or have an area in which you’d like to get involved, please reach out to bluffparkpto@gmail.com! More info will be available at the PTO meeting on Tuesday.

SPIRIT NIGHT! The next Spirit Night is March 15th at Chick-fil-A Patton Creek (5-8pm, drive-thru only).

SPRING OUTDOOR CLEANUP is happening!!! Please come join us on March 19th from 8am to 12pm. This event is always a lot of fun, and it gives the kids a great opportunity to better their school. We plan to have donuts and HOUSE POINTS for anyone who participates!

It's time for your student to take the next step in music: the recorder! I will be ordering recorders at the end of this month for all 3rd-grade students. The fee is $8, which covers the book and recorder. If you have not yet paid for a recorder, please do so by logging on to myschoolfees. You can pay for it through the "registration fee" option. If you are unsure whether or not you have paid, please check your payment history on myschoolfees, or contact me at jkeyton@hoover.k12.al.us. Here is a note from Mrs. Honeycutt about myschoolfees:

Order securely online! Bluff Park encourages and prefers online payments at https://secure4.myschoolfees.com, accepting Discover and MasterCard (convenience fee applied) and electronic checks (no convenience fee). The school will receive an electronic notification of your online payment. If you do not have access to MySchoolFees or choose to use another form of legal tender, you may pay at the school by sending a personal check, money order, cashier's check, or cash. If paying by check, please include your name, address and phone number on the check. Counter or starter checks are not accepted. Please make checks payable to Bluff Park PTO. If the school should incur a fee due to a returned payment, you will be responsible for that fee.

Recorders will be ordered Friday, March 11th. If you have not already, please send $8 to the school for your child's recorder so that they can all be ordered and delivered at the same time.

Due to the uncertainty of free meals for all students for the 2022-2023 school year, we would encourage everyone to complete an online application for Free and Reduced Meals to avoid a possible gap in coverage at the beginning of the school year. Click here to access the website with information.

Hoover City Schools is now accepting applications for Substitute Teachers!

Do you enjoy the energy of schools? Do you enjoy being around children?

Come join our team of dedicated substitute teachers to continue the

learning process for our students when classroom teachers are absent.

The work locations and days are flexible!

Want to apply? Visit https://www.hoovercityschools.net/ and look for the Human Resources tab under Departments. You may also contact Sharon Pierson at spierson@hoover.k12.al.us 205-439-1093 for additional information.

Current substitute teacher pay rate:

$85 per day (with valid substitute license)

$90 per day (with Alabama valid teacher certification)

$95 per day (retired HCS teachers only)

The Knight School is returning this spring to Bluff Park Elementary School! These exciting, high-energy chess parties are a blast for kids K-6th. Chess classes will be conducted in the school library every Friday from dismissal-4:15. Tuition is $90 per month and includes all lessons, all prizes, a chess team T-shirt, each child’s own personal USCF tote, pieces and mat, and everything else! Membership also includes interfacing with our sister chess team in the Hoover, plus the chess teams of every single Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, and Homewood elementary school, public and private, To join our fantastic chess network and get really devastating at chess, just go to www.theknightschool.com and we will see you after school this coming Friday in the school library!

Click here to learn more.

We at Bluff Park would love to have more males around the school, and are hoping to do this through D2 (Dudes on Duty). This group was originally formed in 2019 and we are so excited to announce that D2 will be coming back in action! D2 is a group of dads, grandfathers, uncles, etc. that assist in a variety of ways and allow a male presence at Bluff Park. If you would like to sign up to receive emails from this group about opportunities in the future to help with school activities, please click here to provide your name and email address.

The opportunity for D2 to assist in carpool during the month of February has been added.

Click here to sign up if you would like to assist.

If your child has ANY symptoms of illness, please keep him/her at home until you can determine the cause of the symptoms. If your child has symptoms and they have been tested for COVID-19, they must remain home until the COVID-19 test results are reported to you.

We ask that you report a COVID-19 positive diagnosis to your School Nurse.

COVID-19 positive individuals must meet the following criteria before returning to school/work:

• Isolate away from others for at least 5 full days after symptoms first appear

• And have at least 24 hours fever free without the use of fever reducing medications at the end of 10 day period

• And have general improvement of all symptoms

• Wear a well fitted mask Day 6 through Day 10

Currently, Hoover City School does not force exclusion for those students exposed to COVID-19 illness and are not experiencing symptoms. However, if your student develops any symptoms of illness during the 10 day monitoring period, please keep them home, notify the school nurse and have them evaluated by a healthcare provider.

If your student is sent home with Covid-19 symptoms and able to see a health care provider and given an alternative diagnosis, they can return to school if they have a release to return to school from a physician and fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medications on board.

If your student is sent home with Covid-19 symptoms and unable to see a health care provider, they will need to quarantine at home for 5 full days from onset of symptoms (Day 0-Day 5).

If you have any questions or concerns, please email Nurse Melanie at mjourdan@hoover.k12.al.us or call 439-2830.

In an effort to improve reading outcomes for students across Alabama, the Alabama Legislature passed the Alabama Literacy Act, which became law on June 10, 2019.

This legislation extends comprehensive information and other guidance for educators to focus concentrated and systematic efforts to improve the reading skills of all public school students in early literacy so that every student is reading at or above grade level by the end of the third grade.

To learn more about the Alabama Literacy Act, click the links below:

Alabama Literacy Act - full text (PDF)

Alabama Family Guide for Student Reading Success (PDF)

Alabama Family Guide for Student Reading Success (Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Korean, and Vietnamese translations)

At home Resources:

Promotion Based Decisions (PDF)

Kindergarten Booklet - My Child Can!

First Grade Booklet - My Child Can!

Second Grade Booklet - My Child Can!

Third Grade Booklet - My Child Can!

Thank you so much to all of those who were able to join us for the Literacy Act Lunch and Learn. If you were not able to attend or had a spouse that you would like to share this information with, I have included a video here. I also wanted to share a list of resources with you that were discussed at the conclusion of our meeting. We look forward to our continued partnership with you! -Mrs. Adams

Alabama's Voluntary Pre-K Program - Hoover City Schools Pre-Registration Information - English

Alabama's Voluntary Pre-K Program - Hoover City Schools Pre-Registration Information - Spanish

Parent Pre-Registration Guide - English

Parent Pre-Registration Guide - Spanish

First Priority Kids Club meets every Friday at 7:00 am for grades 3-5 in Mr. Keyton's room. Permission must be given online via the link where you can also read more! We will provide a breakfast snack. Email kristimerritt2@gmail.com with any questions. https://www.prioritykids.com/sign-up-your-kid/

Is your child’s Chromebook going wonky at home? Is iReady not loading properly? Many times, if Chromebooks are running slowly or programs like iReady are not working properly, you may need to clear your cache or update your Chromebook.

Google pushes out updates frequently, sometimes multiple times a week. In order to continue accessing various websites and programs, you will have to update Chromebooks regularly. If your child pins the Gopher Buddy Extension, you will be able to quickly check to see if there is an update available.

Reading together can be a fun bonding experience for families. Get your kids to fall in love with books this National Reading Month. Click here for a list of Caldecott Medal and Honor Books!

Staying Mentally Healthy During the Holiday Season

w/ special guest Leigh Cohen Long, LICSW

In this episode of the Roots and Wings podcast, we clarify the differences between Mental Health and Mental Illness. Also discussed was how to observe signs and symptoms and when, where, and how to ask for professional help for ourselves and/or our children. Most importantly, practical ways to take care of yourself and your children are provided.

The podcast can be found here

or under the Student Services tab of the Hoover City Schools' website.

Anchor.fm https://anchor.fm/kandace-vanwanderham

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/roots-and-wings-podcast

Google: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zZDlhZDUzNC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/jf1cmh02

Radio Public https://radiopublic.com/roots-and-wings-podcast-WDEbPA

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1hPKeO4h4onYaut7MiFkzO

We believe it is important for children to develop good habits at an early age and to learn that school is important. Parents, please help us by having your child here on time. Every minute counts! This is a reminder that students not in their seats by 7:50 a.m will be counted tardy. Our academic schedule begins at 7:50 a.m., and therefore, we need all students and staff members ready to go at 7:50 a.m. The first bell rings at 7:40 a.m. The tardy bell (third bell) will ring at 7:50 a.m. If the “your child is now late” sign is out, you will need to park and check your child in at the front desk. For the past week, we have closely monitored carpool and from 7:00 a.m.-7:30 a.m. there is little to no line. If the line is backed up to the road, it takes approximately five minutes for the car at the turn-in to make it to the unloading location. If weather or other extenuating circumstances slow down the carpool process, we will make an exception. Also, please be sure to only drop students off at the designated area. Thank you for your support.

Please click here if you would like to sign your child up to say the Pledge of Allegiance over the intercom in the morning. Be sure to complete the form separately for each child you would like to sign up.

All absence excuses (whether parent, doctor, or court notes) may be submitted electronically. Please save this email address for your convenience: BPESAttendance@hoover.k12.al.us. Parent notes MUST include parent signature - we cannot accept just a straight email with no handwritten signature. In addition, notes should include the student's full name, teacher name, dates of absence, and reason for absence within 3 days of the student's return to school. You may take a picture of a handwritten excuse and email it to this address. Thank you for your cooperation in this attempt to keep us healthy!

Further, if you student is going to be absent for a reason other than those listed as approved by the Hoover City Schools Code of Conduct (e.g., family trip), you may request that the days missed be coded as excused by submitting an Anticipated Absence Form at least three (3) days in advance of the absence. This can be for full day or partial day absences. You can find the form on our school website or by clicking here.

Click here for more information on applying for a Free or Reduced priced meal.

Click here for information on MySchoolBucks. You can also check out the website here - https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain?requestAction=home

YMCA Afterschool Academy - click here for more information.

Hoover City Schools is pleased to announce that the USDA has extended free breakfast and lunch to all students during the 2021-2022 school year.

As always, our Child Nutrition Program staff will continue to offer a variety of entrée options, featuring a wide array of fresh fruit and vegetables.

(Notice of Nondiscrimination for Mass-Distributed Publications/Mass Communications)
Updated 2021

EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

(Board policy, 6.6) No student will be unlawfully excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity offered or sponsored by the Board on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, disability, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, immigrant or migrant status, non-English speaking ability, or homeless status. All career and technical education opportunities are offered to all students regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. The district also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

Mrs. Claire Jones-Moore, IDEA Coordinator
Mrs. Anna Whitney, Section 504 Coordinator
Dr. Debra Walker Smith, Title I Coordinator
Dr. Debra Walker Smith, Title II Coordinator
Dr. Debra Walker Smith, Title III Coordinator

Hoover City Schools
2810 Metropolitan Way
Hoover, AL 35243
(205) 439-1000

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

(Board policy, 5.14.1) The Board is an equal opportunity employer. Personnel actions and decisions will be made without regard to factors or considerations prohibited by federal or state law (as such laws may from time to time be amended), including but not limited to race, gender, gender identity, age, disability, national origin, citizenship, religious preference, pregnancy, genetic information, political affiliation, military service, sexual orientation, or other non-merit based factors. Subject to the limitations set forth in 4.6.2, the general complaint (grievance) policy (4.6.1) may be used to present any complaint alleging unlawful discrimination or harassment. Inquiries regarding compliance and complaint procedures can be directed to:

Mrs. Mary Veal, Equal Opportunity Employment Coordinator

Hoover City Schools
2810 Metropolitan Way
Hoover, AL 35243
(205) 439-1000