The Big Cat Courier
Your Source for Big Cat News, Right Meow
May 26, 2023
Good Afternoon Barnard Families,
With the Memorial Day holiday weekend kicking off this afternoon, the staff at Henry Barnard School would like to honor the military men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while in the service to our country. Wherever our weekend plans take us, we'll all be taking a moment of silence on Monday to reflect on these brave men and women and hope that you will, too.
This past week was an eventful one at HBS. Students worked diligently on end of year assessments while continuing to work meaningfully within the curriculum, the second graders enjoyed their end of year fieldtrip to the Forest Park Zoo, we welcomed the families of incoming kindergarten students who were still working to complete student registration for the fall, staff continued their work on class lists for the fall during our Early Release day, and the list goes on and on! Through the next 13 school days, we'll be focused on keeping our students learning and doing it in a way that celebrates all of their hard work over the last 168 days of school. Fieldtrips, presenters, Field Day, and other fun learning activities will continue until the very last day. Please help us keep the students excited about coming to school right through to the end of the year.
As we move into the last three weeks of school and the potential for hot weather and strong UV, we recommend layered clothing and sun screening the kids before they come to school.
Thank you and enjoy your extra day with the kids!
Our June Lunch Menu is Ready
The PTO End of Year Family Movie Night is Coming
Important Dates to Keep an Eye On -
No School on Monday, 5/29 for Memorial Day
Field Day on Thursday, 6/1 (rain date Monday, 6/5)
First Grade Field Trip on Friday, 6/2
First Readers Ceremony on Monday, 6/5
Second Grade visit to Crandall on Tuesday, 6/6
*Note: The last two days of school, Wednesday, 6/14 and Thursday, 6/15 will be early release days with student dismissal at 1:50PM.
Last student day on Thursday, 6/15
Important Items from Our Last Edition
Art Camp Sessions in Enfield
The Enfield Public Schools Visual Arts Department is holding the 2nd Annual Summer Arts program this Summer. The program will run at EHS on July 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 17, 19, and 20 from 9:00a-11:00a for all EPS students entering grades 2-12. Use the QR code in the poster to sign-up.
Please note that the deadline to register is now May 26th.
Class Placement Requests
With the end of the year rapidly approaching, our team is starting to create drafts of next year's class lists. While we cannot honor requests for specific teachers, families are welcome to write their child's current teacher a short note describing the traits you think would be a good fit for your child next year.
While on the surface a single request may seem simple to accommodate, the way classes are constructed makes it extremely difficult to honor a request for a specific teacher. The process of creating class lists is a long and intensive one for the staff. We begin this work by the end of April and focus on constructing lists that reflect positive working groups based on children’s needs (social, emotional and academic). The lists go through several revisions. Class lists are not constructed with specific teachers in mind and in fact, teachers are assigned to a group as the last step in the process. Luckily, we have a very strong teaching staff at all three grade levels. Families can expect a class placement letter to arrive by the middle of August.
Attendance Letters and the Attendance Policy
Another round of attendance letters is being prepared to go out to families. As a reminder, the Attendance Policy followed by Enfield Public Schools is in direct alignment with the requirements set forth by the State of Connecticut. The policy can be found in the Elementary School Handbook (link below), starting at the bottom of page 6. It is important to note that the State of CT collects data on the total number of absences, regardless of whether they are excused or unexcused. Attendance letters are sent to families based on the attendance policy. As with the State, the letters indicate the total number of absences rather than just unexcused absences.
As stated in previous editions of the newsletter, student attendance is a major factor in scholastic success and achievement. It is understood that illness is a part of childhood and that families are at the mercy of doctor and dentist appointment availability. When these thing arise, please follow up with the main office at HBS with a note from your healthcare provider if your child had an office visit. That way we can code the absence in our system correctly. If your child was not seen by a healthcare provider, which is often the case with childhood illness, you should submit a note written by you to the main office regarding the absence. As stated in the policy, the first 9 absences may be excused with a parent note as long as the note is submitted.
Thank you for taking the time to read through the attendance policy in the handbook and for your understanding regarding the required attendance notification letters.
The EPS Elementary School Handbook has been revised. Please follow the link to the updated document: Elementary Handbook 2022-2023
Who wants to be a Big Cat? Enfield Public Schools is still Hiring!
If you are interested in working for Enfield Public Schools, I would encourage you to look at the job postings on our main website. With a school district this size, there are always open positions and if you don't see something that you're interested in, check back often as postings are always changing. Whether you're looking for a position as a Teachers, Paraprofessional, Academic Tutor, Behavior Technician, Nurse, Aide, Lunch Room Staff, Building Substitute, etc... you'll find positions that fall within the school day, which is perfect if you have children in school.
Follow the link to see the current postings: https://enfield.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx
Free Lunch Update
EPS is piloting a new Home-School Communication App
iPad Insurance Can Mean the Difference Between a $25 Investment and a $400 Bill
Up to Date Contact Information is VITAL
I have to say, from experience, that there's nothing sadder than having a sick student in the nursing office all day because we weren't able to reach their family. Never mind the fright caused when the student isn't on the bus home.
Please, please check that your information is up to date. You can check it out and update it in the PowerSchool Parent Portal and through School Messenger. Both can be found halfway down the District's homepage: http://www.enfieldschools.org/
The Elementary School Handbook
Helpful i-Ready Hints
Our Community Partners -
Consider Joining the PTO
Having said that, all the good work that the PTO puts into our schools translates directly to a richer educational experience for our students. They help fund fieldtrips and educational experiences that we would otherwise not have available to our students.
The PTO meets once each month. Meetings usually run for less than an hour and are dedicated to school updates and planning for upcoming events. Please consider being a part of the PTO. Many hands make light work!
For more information, please follow the link: https://enfieldpto.com/henrybarnard
The Family Resource Center (FRC)
For more information, please follow this link: https://www.enfield-ct.gov/375/Family-Resource-Center
Enfield Resources for Children (ERfC)
Follow this link for more information: https://erfcinc.org/
The Big Cat Courier
Enfield Public Schools
Learning Through Play
Henry Barnard School
Email: jgraham@enfieldschools.org
Website: https://henry.sharpschool.com/
Location: 27 Shaker Road, Enfield, CT, USA
Phone: (860) 253-6540
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnfieldPublicSschools/
Twitter: @EnfieldPS