Evening Star Elementary
January 2023-2024
A Note from Principal Williams:
Welcome to the second semester of the 2023-224 school year. We want to kick off the 2024 year by saying thank you to every one of our ESE families. Thank you for your continued support of Evening Star Elementary. You are an integral part of our success and one of the many reasons Evening Star is one of the best schools in Arkansas. Parents, you are your child's first teacher. You are their role model and biggest cheerleader throughout their entire life. Thank you for your continued support in your child's education and for modeling the importance of academics. Your proactive partnership with the ESE staff prepares your little owl for many years of educational success.
Winter MAP testing will occur this month. MAP tests are designed to measure a student's growth compared to where he/she was at the beginning of the year. Each student's growth goal is unique to him/herself. Our goal is to ensure that each child shows growth on these tests. MAP Testing dates are as follows:
- January 10th-11th - Fourth Grade MAP Testing
- January 11th-12th - First Grade & Third Grade MAP Testing
- January 18th-19th - Kindergarten & Second Grade MAP Testing
In the meantime, we ask that you partner with us by ensuring that your child maintains healthy routines, such as reading nightly, getting plenty of rest, and eating a healthy breakfast.
- See that your child is well-rested and eats a good breakfast. Studies suggest that good nutrition is related to improved attention and concentration. Also, when children are well-rested, they are more likely to be able to focus.
- Make sure that your child arrives at school on time and is relaxed. We want them to have ample time to settle in and relax before the test begins.
- Encourage your child to do their best on the test. We appreciate your support in helping your child understand the importance of the MAP test.
- Make every effort to avoid checking your child out for appointments during these days.
Additionally, parents, as we head into the 2nd semester, we want to reiterate the importance of your child's attendance at the elementary level. First and foremost, attendance matters!
Research shows:
- Regular school attendance helps children feel better about school and themselves.
- Students who are chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to be able to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.
- Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student's academic performance. That is just two days a month, which is known as chronic absence.
Feel free to visit attendanceworks.org to gain more information regarding the importance of your child's attendance at school.
When purchasing a home or considering neighborhoods, many of you consider the quality of the nearest school, right? Did you know that your child's attendance is part of our overall school quality score? The Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) (ESSA) includes 5 indicators: Achievement, Growth, English Learner Progress toward English Language Proficiency, Graduation Rate, School Quality, and Student Success. The School Quality and Student Success indicator counts for 15% of our overall ESSA score. Attendance is factored within the School Quality and Student Success indicator. Our school is awarded 1 point for EVERY child who is absent 8.5 or fewer days (excused and unexcused), 0.5 points for a student who misses 9 to 17.5 days, and 0.0 points for a student who misses 18 or more days. Every student, regardless of grade level, counts with regards to our school quality rating for our ESSA score. Please help us by ensuring your little one is here every day.
On December 1st, our school was internationally recognized by Solution Tree as one of about 500 schools/districts in the US and Canada as a Model PLC at Work School. This recognition is an incredible Honor and a true testament to the collaborative work of our ESE team and their persistent focus on student and adult learning within and beyond our school building. Congratulations to our staff!
Bentonville Schools requires an annual Profile Verification for every student to ensure the data in our student management system is current and accurate. The form is available online now and should be completed by January 16, 2024. You may submit your Profile Verification by visiting www.bentonvillek12.org, clicking on the Parents tab, and selecting Forms – Online Forms. The Profile Verification form is mobile-friendly.
Report cards will be sent through email on January 16th.
Thank you for allowing us to be part of your child's educational career. We love your little owlet and value every minute of our day with them!
Principal Williams
Kindergarten Enrollment 2024-2025 Pre-Registartion:
Pre-Registration for new kindergarteners for the 2024-25 school year will start on January 22nd-February 2nd. Detailed information will be on our district website towards the end of the month. You must complete the online pre-registration process (Step 1) before submitting an enrollment form (Step 2) and moving on to the final enrollment (Step 3). The pre-registration link will become “live” on 1/22 at 8:00 AM and will close on 2/2 at 3:00 PM. If you miss the pre-registration deadline you will have to wait and submit the enrollment form for kindergarten when our general enrollment for new students opens up on April 1st.
Nominate School Personnel for the District's Extra Mile Award!
Future ESE Events:
January:
9th - Students Return from Winter Break
10th - 11th - 4th Grade MAP Testing
11th - 12th - 1st & 3rd Grade MAP Testing
15th - No School
16th - Last day for families to complete Profile form in Etrieve
16th - 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m - BOE Meeting
18th - 19th - Kindergarten & 2nd Grade MAP Testing
22nd - Pre-Registration for 2024-2025 Kindergarten students begins (online only)
24th - 26th - Goodies with Grown-ups - by student's first initial of their last name. See below for additional details & Intent to Attend form.
25th - Good News Club begins
26th - All Bentonville Reads Kick-off
30th - PTO Meeting @ 8:30 a.m. & LAST Volunteer training 9:30-10:00 a.m. in ESE Wonder Room
February:
- 1st - 100th Day of School
- 5th-10th - ESE Teacher Appreciation Week
- 14th - Valentine's Parties (more information will be included in the Feb. Parent Newsletter.)
- 19th - No School - Staff will be in Professional Learning trainings
- 20th -4th Grade Musical @ 6:00 pm at the Bentonville West Performing Arts center.
- 20th - 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m - BOE Meeting
- 22nd - School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
Inclement Weather:
- It is our goal to dismiss school at the regular time, if at all possible. We understand that early dismissals cause disruption for parents and students, as well as the educational merit of the school day.
- If we must dismiss school early for safety reasons, it is important for you and your children to have a "Plan B" in place ahead of time. Your children need to know where to go after school, how to get in the house if they are going home alone, and have a pre-established plan for communicating with you that they have safely arrived. We will do our best to transport the students safely and in a timely manner.
- AMI days are no longer an option in accordance with state law. Should we have to cancel class for snow or ice, students will make up the day at the end of the academic year.
Weather:
Forecasts show dangerously low temperatures this week with single digits on some mornings.
Make sure your children leave home with a proper jacket, gloves, and hats.
Keep in mind, layered clothing is always a good idea since the mornings can be chilly, and the afternoons tend to be warm.
If your child is a bus rider, consider waiting with him/her at the bus stop so your child can remain in the car until the bus arrives.
Students will go outside for recess unless it is raining, sleeting, or the wind chill is dangerously low. Please know it is our intent to take students outside for recess every day. During extreme temperatures and/or wind chill, recess could be shortened. Elementary and middle school students will go outside for recess unless weather conditions make it unsafe or unwise to do so.
- Students will typically go outside if temperatures are 30 degrees F or above.
- If the temperature and/or wind chills are between 25 and 30 degrees F. building administrators may use discretion when sending students outdoors. Factors to be considered may include: - Wind - Sun - Cold weather apparel of students - Length of time to be spent outdoors - Other factors as they arise.
Absences:
In the event that your child is absent from school, please use the following email address: esesattendanceclerk@bentonvillek12.org.
Teachers and front office staff may be out so we ask that you refrain from emailing staff directly. You can also use the esesattendanceclerk@bentonvillek12.org to send in doctor's notes. When parents email the esesattendanceclerk@bentonvillek12.org, both Mrs. Kendra and Mrs. Tammy receive the email. Thank you for your help with ensuring your child's attendance record is accurate and current.
Counselor Corner:
Happy New Year, Owl Families! We are so glad to be back in our nest and getting settled into our routine. As we move forward into a new semester, we are hitting the ground running by continuing to equip, prepare, and inspire our owls with guidance to promote success in all areas: Social/Emotional, Academic, and Career.
Our topic for guidance lessons for this month is Conflict Resolution Skills. We know that conflict is a part of being human; effective conflict resolution is not designed to avoid disagreements. Instead, conflict resolution skills are used to facilitate discussion, increase understanding, and control emotional responses.
Having these skills in their toolboxes will help our owls be prepared to respond in a more positive, peaceful way when conflict occurs. Our goal is to create an inclusive environment for students who know how to manage and limit conflicts.
Teaching Kids How to Deal With Conflict
5 Strategies to Help Kids Resolve Conflicts
As always, please reach out to us for any reason! We are here for your children and YOU! Thank you for sharing your most precious little ones with us.
Pam Gaskin 479-360-7407 pgaskin@bentonvillek12.org
Paula Kaufmann 479-360-7408 pkaufmann@bentonvillek12.org
Parent Night
Mark your calendars for a Parent Night on January 18th from 5:30-7:00. Madison Lewis, Bentonville Schools Behavior Intervention Specialist, and the surrounding district BCBAs will be presenting and giving tools to parents on all things behavior!
Goodies with Grownups:
Mark your calendars for Goodies with Grown-ups - Wednesday, Jan. 24th - Friday, Jan. 26th! Come enjoy a fun breakfast with your owl in the ESE cafeteria from 7:00-7:30 am. This event will be split up over three days based on the first initial of your child’s last name. This will ensure we have enough space for all of our little owls and their guest.
- A-G - Jan. 24th
- H-M - Jan. 25th
- N-Z - Jan. 26th
Please complete the Intent to Attend form below to ensure we have enough breakfast for our students and guest. Parents & guests, please remember our front office staff will check in all guests. If you have yet to be scanned in through our Raptor system in our front office, you will need to do so prior to entering the building. Completing the Intent to Attend form is not the same as being signed into our Raptor system. The Intent to Attend form simply gives us a headcount. Thank you for understanding that every owl's safety is our main priority.
Please complete this Intent to Attend form by Friday, January 19th.
News from Nurse Crutchfield:
BMI screenings will begin at the end of January. Please see the information below. If you would like to opt out of this screening, it can be indicated on the Health History form if not already done so.
Act 1220 requires students in grades KF, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 shall have their height and weight assessed. Additional information can be found in our Student Handbook located under BMI Screenings. Parents/guardians who refuse to have their student assessed must provide written documentation of the refusal by checking the refusal box on the Health History Form. Screening results will be sent home only upon request of the parent/guardian.
Please take some time to review current guidelines for illnesses, communicable diseases, dietary restrictions, and medications found on pages 38-43 of the Student Handbook
Sincerely,
Nurse Dana Crutchfield RN, BSN, CPN
ESE Literacy and Math Coach News:
One thing we as adults do with each new year is set goals for ourselves. One great way we can do this with our kids is by setting goals for literacy and math! This is a great way to get students excited about the new semester and help them refocus on their education.
Below are a few examples of goals you might talk about with your children.
Books I want to read this year - You could set a weekly, monthly, or annual goal depending on the age of your child and the length of books they are reading
Something new I would like to learn - This is a great time to allow your child to explore their interests and learn something new together as a family!
An area I am going to work harder at - Have your child think about different things they are learning in school. Is there one subject area that is more difficult for them than others? Help them set an attainable goal for that subject.
Math fact fluency - What is your child working on for fact fluency in math? Depending on the age of your child, it might be adding and subtracting within 20 or working on multiplication and division facts. If you need help identifying a goal for fact fluency, reach out to your child’s teacher to see where they are working.
We can’t wait to hear about all of the great goals you set together!
Julie Dibee (Literacy Coach) & Katie Curry (Math Coach)
Whooo Loves to read? Your ESE OWLS DO!
There is a great deal of learning going on in the library this month! 4th graders are storyboarding to plan for their digital creation. 3rd graders will begin researching the project of their choosing. 2nd and 1st graders are having quite a wonderful time playing with, followed by coding various robots. Our sweet kindergarten students will continue to have various challenges to solve with each picture book that is read. I love every minute I have with your children!
I am available to help you and your children find books they will love. Please contact me anwatson@bentonvillek12.org if there is anything I can do to help your child grow in their love of reading!
Please consider continuing to support our library programs with the purchase of a celebration book!
Keep reading,
Mrs. Watson
"Gym Shorts":
Welcome back! We are going to exercise our minds and our bodies this month with fast math, scrabble scramble, fitness challenge, drum fit and our annual pacer test. Let's get moving!
Coach Kerkhover & Coach Jones
ART Studio:
Wow I can hardly believe we are already into the second semester! Our owls are hard at work creating a variety of winter displays around our building. This month we will be exploring different sculptors and textile artists. All students will be learning how to talk about their artwork with peers and engaging with new mediums. Be on the lookout for more amazing projects they will be bringing home!
Mrs. Barber
Music Notes:
Happy 2024, Owls! It’s hard to believe we are halfway through the school year!
Thank you to all of the 4th graders who auditioned for the musical! We have so many talented ESE musicians! Parents, please save the date! The 4th grade musical, “Dig it!” will be Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 6:00 pm at the BWHS Performing Arts center.
This month in Kindergarten and 1st Grade, students will begin to compose their own short rhythms while exploring new instrument sounds. Our 2nd and 3rd graders will work to expand their music vocabularies and learn to apply new parts of rhythm.
Keep making music!
Mrs. Simpson
Global Connections:
Hola! I’m so glad to be back in class with our owls! Now that we have completed our study in North America, we will be taking an adventure through South America. I’m so proud of your owls, as they continue to impress me with their enthusiasm in class to learn more about our world in which we live.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Schroeder
Digital Literacy
We’ve got some smart owls in Digital Literacy!!! We’ve started practicing typing skills for Kinder, 1st through 4th have just started our block coding lessons. And as always, we try to stay mindful of our digital footprint/digital citizenship.
Mr. Henry
English as a Second Language:
Happy New Year Families!
I am so happy to be back with all of my students again and I hope you all had a wonderful winter break! Before the break all my students received the gift of a book courtesy from ESL. My hope is that each student finds joy and fun in reading books! Keep reading!
Seesaw Translation:
Did you know parents signed into their Seesaw family account have the option of being able to translate Seesaw into their native language? Teachers and families can now translate Seesaw content into over 55 languages!
If a note, caption, comment, announcement, or message is written in a language that is different from the language of a family's or teacher’s device, a “See Translation” option appears below the post. Tap “See Translation” and Seesaw automatically translates any text into your native language. Students do not have access to this feature; it is just for your family account.
https://help.seesaw.me/hc/en-us/articles/218102343-How-does-translation-work-
Let me know if you have any questions!
Melissa Tomblin
SCHOOL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH MENUS:
To make a deposit for your child's breakfast/lunch account, log in to the Family Portal. You will need your student's ID to log in.
If you would like to see what our cafeteria will be serving for breakfast and lunch for the month of January, simply click on the following link: https://www.bentonvillek12.org/page/food-and-nutrition