Evening Star Elementary
April 2023-2024
A Note from Principal Williams:
Welcome to April! Can you believe that after today, we only have 43 school days remaining? As we make our way into the 4th Quarter, our goal is to FINISH STRONG. To finish strong, the ESE Staff is committed to continuing to elevate their teaching while capitalizing on every instructional minute so that our little owls SOAR Beyond Greatness! This is only possible when our little owls are here every day. We want to reiterate the importance of your child's attendance for the last Quarter of the 2023-2024 school year. Every day of instruction, all 420 minutes of the school day matters. Between now and the end of the year is vital to your little owl's educational success. Please make all appointments to occur after school and avoid checking your little one out early. Speaking of attendance, here's a breakdown of our attendance data for each month:
- January = 96.51%
- February = 94.21%
- March = 94.85%
Our 3rd Grade students have taken the lead with an impressive 96.18% attendance rate. Way to go, 3rd grade! Our Kindergarten students are not far behind again this month with an attendance rate of 95.22%, an increase from 94.26% last month. Keep it up, and before you know it, you will be leading our nest.
Calendar Reminders:
- Students will attend school on Friday, April 19th.
- The last day of school for students will be Thursday, May 30th.
- 2023-2024 Student Calendar (revised 2/20/24)
- 2024-2025 Student Calendar (BOE approved 2/20/24)
We want to thank all of our parents/families who attended our spring Parent/Teacher conferences. We know the weather impacted us all. Please reach out to your child's homeroom teacher if you still need to have your Parent/Teacher conference.
We are excited about the April 8th near-total solar eclipse, 97.7% totality at a maximum time of 1:51 p.m.! We will provide all of our students and staff with viewing glasses. Our homeroom teachers have lessons and safety procedures they will be teaching this week to prepare for this incredible event. Let's all hope the weather cooperates. Also, Downtown Bentonville, Inc. will be hosting an eclipse pre-party on First Friday, April 4th. Bentonville Schools will have a booth set up at this free, family-friendly event. We would love for you to join us.
The time for standardized assessment is approaching. Arkansas will resume statewide tests starting in April. This testing helps families and educators understand how much students have learned throughout the school year and whether they are on track to graduate high school and achieve success in college, career, and life. Please mark these dates on your calendar and attempt to avoid or reschedule any non-critical appointments on the testing days.
ATLAS Testing Dates: Third & Fourth Grade
- April 16th - Science
- April 17th - ELA
- April 18th - Math
MAP Testing Dates:
- Kindergarten - April 29th & 30th
- First Grade - April 22nd & 23rd
- Second Grade - May 1st & 2nd
- Third Grade - April 29th & 30th
- Fourth Grade - April 29th & 30th
Last but not least, we are asking for everyone's help in the car line. Cell phones are popping up! Cell phone use in a school zone is against Arkansas state law. No call or appointment is worth the risk of hurting a child. Please be diligent and put your cell phones down. Think about what you would want from any other driver when it comes to your precious child's safety. Together, we can do better.
We appreciate you and all that you do to support Evening Star Elementary.
Principal Williams
Nominate School Personnel for the District's Extra Mile Award!
The deadline to order a yearbook with custom pages is April 23! Use this link above to order!
Future ESE Events:📅
3rd - Para Appreciation Day
3rd - Last day to join Run Club (See details below.)
3rd - 2nd Grade Fieldtrip to Prairie Grove Battlefield
4th - Librarian Appreciation Day
8th - Eclipse Day (see above for details)
9th - Spring Pictures Reminder - money due or returned unpurchased pictures
10th - Kindergarten Cap & Gown Pictures
11th - Screen Time and Development: What Families Need to Know webinar 6:00 p.m.: Registration Link
11th -15th - Bus Driver Appreciation Week
16th - ATLAS Testing - Science
17th - ATLAS Testing - ELA
18th - ATLAS Testing - Math
17th & 18th - First Grade Field Trip (See homeroom teacher emails for details.)
22nd - Earth Day
22nd - 23rd - 1st Grade MAP Testing
22nd-26th - Office Lady Appreciation Day
23rd - PTO Meeting 8:30 a.m.
23rd - Last day to order a yearbook with custom pages. (Order link is above.)
25th - Final ESE Run Club Day
26th - Gold Rush @ Old Tiger Stadium 6:30 p.m.
29th - 30th - Kinder, 3rd, & 4th Grades MAP Testing
29th - May 3rd - Bike to School Week
May
1st & 2nd - Second Grade MAP Testing
3rd - Cafeteria Worker Appreciation Day
3rd - 3rd & 4th Grade Spring Fling
6th - 10th - Nurse Appreciation Week
8th - Kindergarten Field Trip to Amazeum
14th - PTO Meeting - 8:30
14th - Incoming Kindergarten Orientation Night (Based on the 1st Initial of the Student's Last Name: 5:00-5:45 A-H; 6:00-6:45 I-P; 7:00-7:45 Q-Z)
15th - 2nd Grade Field Tripto Botanical Gardens
17th - BWHS Graduation
18th - BHS Graduation
20th - 24th - Student Appreciation Week
21st - Kindergarten Celebration 6:00 - PAC at Bentonville West High School
22nd - Field Day
24th - 4th Grade at Arvest Ballpark 6:00
27th - No School
30th - Last Day of School & 4th Grade Clap-out 1:45
Dress Code:
As spring approaches, we want to remind our families of our Bentonville School Dress Code. Our little owls tend to grow in height overnight. Please be aware of the length of your little ones shirts and shorts. The dress code below is prescribed for all students, grades K-12. Students are not permitted to wear:
- Shirts with straps that are less than two inches wide, cut-off T-shirts, midriff shirts/blouses, netted shirts, muscle shirts, cutoffs (pants).
- Short shorts or dresses/skirts, including splits, must extend below mid-thigh.
- Sunglasses, inside the school building, unless medically required.
- Rolling or wheeled shoes.
Picture Day: 📸
Spring pictures were sent home recently. Unpurchased pictures and/or payments are due back to the school by April 9th. To order a class photo online, visit www.strawbridge.net. Click Order Pictures and enter the following code: FM427130. There will be no retakes for Spring or Class pictures.
Class pictures that were pre-purchased were also sent home. Parents are still able to order a class picture online using the code FM427130. There is a $3.00 shipping fee and orders will ship directly to your home.
Kindergarten Cap & Gown pictures are April 10th.
ESE Parents, by signing up using the link below, you will be able to receive updates via email regarding your child's school portraits. These updates include promotions, additional deals and the ability to order more pictures at a later time. When entering student information, parents should be sure to enter the student's name as it is on file at the school.
Strawbridge Link: https://strawbridge.fotomerchanthv.com/clients/evening-star-elementary-school/cap-gown-pictures-4-10-2024-19/optIn
💙 Our WISE OWLS 🦉
Our WISE (Working for Inclusion and Student Empathy) Owls met this week for a Friendly Faces Circle of Friends gathering. The students were provided face outlines, playdough, and an array of accessories such as yarn, buttons, and googly eyes for the children to unleash their creativity. This was such an engaging way to express emotions and build connections through art while facilitating some memorable moments in friendship-building. T-shirts, designed and purchased by our wonderful PTO, were distributed to the group who wore them on Wednesday.
ESE PTO News:
We would like to thank everyone that participated in our March Madness coin drive. We met our goal to order an 8 foot literacy climbing wall. We can't wait to see it installed in our gym.
Stay connected with our ESE PTO and see all of our upcoming events. Check out our PTO webiste: https://evening-star-elementary-school-pto.square.site/23-24-calendar
Counselor Corner:
Happy April, ESE Families! With spring showers and flowers, April also brings our testing season throughout the state. We are especially excited this year to see our owls' progress. We see all the wonderful things that they are learning every day, and tests allow them to show it! 3rd and 4th graders will take Atlas Exams on Tuesday, April 16, through Thursday, April 18. We want everyone to feel calm and ready to do their best. Here are some tips to help your child cope if they experience test anxiety.
Remember: Not all stress is bad. Good stress pumps us up and can help us perform well. But too much stress can give way to anxiety and fear that get in the way of kids showing what they know. If you notice test anxiety, try these tips to help your child feel more at ease with test-taking.
- Ask your child what’s making him/her feel nervous. Talking through it and saying what’s happening out loud can bring some relief.
- Remind them of past successes.
- Tell them that a little anxiety before a test is normal and can be helpful in performing your best.
- Keep a good routine at night and in the morning. Getting plenty of rest is crucial to their success. Also, arriving at school on time helps to set a positive tone for their day. Prepping clothing, lunches, etc… the night before is key to starting on the right foot!
- Fuel up with a good breakfast! Not too much sugar on testing mornings. Save the pancakes and syrup for a celebration of completion.
- Encourage them just to do their best! They have prepared all year and have the strategies to do well.
- Tell them to take deep breaths until they feel their bodies relax and give themself positive self-talk, “I will do my best.”
Then they can proudly show off what they know!!! Tests should be their time to shine as wise ESE owls!
We are here to help!
Pam Gaskin 479-360-7407 pgaskin@bentonvillek12.org
Paula Kaufmann 479-360-7408 pkaufmann@bentonvillek12.org
News from Nurse Crutchfield:
New medications- If starting your child on a new medication at home, please know that the initial dose of any new medication must be given by the parent/guardian at home. The student is to remain at home for 24 hours to be monitored for side effects. If able and advisable by your MD, please start all new medication on the weekend. Please alert me, Dana Crutchfield - your School Nurse, if your child is starting any new medications so your child’s health information can be updated.
- Allergy Season-Spring is in the air! With the first signs of spring come allergies for many!! Please help your child by giving allergy medications consistently as prescribed. It can be hard for children to concentrate at school when allergies are in full bloom! Also, remember not to send any medication with your child to take throughout the school day!
- World Autism Awareness Day- Please wear BLUE on Tuesday, April 2nd, to show support for people with autism and to help raise awareness of the condition. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 44 children in the United States today. For more information on Autism, see the following link: https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism
Sincerely,
Nurse Dana Crutchfield RN, BSN, CPN
🏃ESE RUN CLUB:🏃🏻♀️
The final day to join run club is April 3. Our ESE Owls are having so much fun.
- First: Register your student and an adult buddy runner for the Gold Rush 5k or Fun Run at https://app.regwiz.io/register/goldrush/1019
- Next: Fill out the Health History Update & Release of Liability form at https://forms.gle/WpPuGcst9QagYa3y8
- Last: Send your students in running clothes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from March 26 to April 25 with a water bottle and an extra snack. Car line will start at 3:30 each afternoon.
Whooo Loves to read? Your ESE OWLS DO!
Thank you all for your support of the book fair! I hope you and your child enjoyed it! Please feel free to give me feedback regarding our book fair this year using this link.
Keep reading,
Mrs. Watson
"Gym Shorts":
We will start in April learning how to volley in our fun 9 square in the air. This will lead us into a few of our lifetime sports, such as tennis, golf, frisbee golf, and corn hole.
Coach Kerkhover & Coach Jones
ART Studio:
April is going to be a great month for our owls!
- Each 4th grader is working on a mural that will be on display in various areas in the building.
- Our K-2nd grade owls will be finishing up their clay projects and taking them home.
- Our 3rd grade will continue to explore our elements of art and create some amazing 2-D pieces that they will be taking home.
Mrs. Barber
Music Notes:
Spring music classes are the best!
- 2nd -4th graders are really enjoying our ukulele unit and will continue to grow these skills throughout the month of April.
- 1st graders are exploring music concepts through old-fashioned singing games like “Bounce High, Bounce Low,” “Charlie Over the Ocean,” and so much more! Please be sure that students are dressed appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable shoes on music days, as we may take our learning outside when the weather permits!
- Kindergarteners have begun preparing for their Kindergarten Celebration. Save the date! You won’t want to miss their sweet voices!
Upcoming Performances:
- May 21st 6:00 p.m. Kindergarten Celebration at Bentonville West PAC
- May 24th 6:00 p.m. 4th Grade Pre-game concert at the *Arvest Ballpark.
- *Click here for ticket information
Keep making music!
Mrs. Simpson
Digital Literacy
We’ve been busy owls in computer class!! Continuing our dedication to muscle memory and practicing our touch typing, I’m seeing lots of advancement through our practice. We have also been furthering our understanding of internet safety, and the ways of being a good digital citizen.
Mr. Henry
Global Connections:
Sincerely,
Mrs. Schroeder
English as a Second Language:
Parents, let's celebrate! We are finished with the ELPA 21 ESL test. All of my students did so well and worked really hard. I am super proud of them! Results will be emailed to parents sometime in late May or early June. On that form, you will find 4 domain scores for your student in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. In order to be considered fully english proficient and to exit from the ESL program in Arkansas, students must score proficient in all areas of ELPA21, have good grades, and score well on other state math and literacy assessments. Until that time, ESL teachers continue to help students and monitor their progress.
Sincerely,
Melissa Tomblin
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. Rather we ask that you email the esesattendanceclerk@bentonvillek12.org and you are welcome to include the homeroom teacher. 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.
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 April, simply click on the following link: https://www.bentonvillek12.org/page/food-and-nutrition