December is Kindness month

   Primrose Hill Elementary School 

Weekly Newsletter

December 9, 2022

Primrose Pandas are Respectful, Responsible and Safe

Mission: Barrington Public School’s mission is to empower all students to excel in character, citizenship, collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking, so that they may positively impact the future.

Vision: Together we inspire, learn, love and grow.

Dear Primrose Families,

It was wonderful to see so many parents here for conferences today. Partnering with our teachers and staff is such an asset to their learning. We appreciate you adjusting your schedule today to join us. Student progress reports will be available to parents on the afternoon of December 16th in Aspen.

Just a reminder that on Tuesday, December 13th, Lifetouch will be coming back to Primrose for re-takes and make-ups. Please let us know, by either email or note to the office if you plan to have your child’s picture taken so that we can build the schedule. 

The PTO will be hosting a holiday store for our students next week to allow the children to do some holiday shopping for their family. If your child plans to participate, please take a moment to make a plan of who they would be buying a small gift. Prices range from $1-10.00. If any family is in need of financial support for this, please reach out to the PTO for assistance. 

We are looking forward to our upcoming performances at Primrose.  Our third grade chorus will host 2 in-school performances for our students and staff on Friday, December 16th. Third grade parents are invited to come for a special performance later that day at 1:30. The following week the Barrington High School Chorus will come and perform for our school. These types of performances have been sorely missed under the restrictions of Covid and we are so pleased to have them back in our school. 

Later this month our classroom module is due for delivery and installation. Not only will this give our additional third grade section their long awaited classroom, but it will open up full use of our cafeteria. The addition of the modular will require adjustments in our arrival and dismissal procedures. As I shared at the PTO meeting last week, the adjustments will be similar to the pre-Covid drop off and pick up routines. See the outline of the changes below for more details. 

If you have not done so already, please be sure to complete the Panorama survey linked below. Today is the last day for the survey. 

Best,

Coleen Smith 

Reminder: If you have not yet completed the survey, please take a moment to share your thoughts and feedback with us today. The survey closes today and your perspective is very important to our planning. 

Dear Families,

The District is seeking your feedback to celebrate our successes and identify areas for growth so we can work to create the best learning and working environment for our students and staff.

 By taking a few minutes to complete the Fall ‘22 Panorama Family Survey you will be providing us with essential feedback about the climate and culture of each of the BPS school(s) that your child(ren) attend(s). Once the survey is complete, the results will be analyzed by district administration, building leaders, and school improvement teams to inform school goals and actions.

You can access the survey online from this survey link. The survey will be open until December 9, 2022.

Weather work in Kindergarten-So pleased to have Michelle Muscatello from WPRI come and speak with our Kindergarteners on Wednesday to share their learning about weather and see some of the tools meteorologists use to study weather patterns. Students shared some clear understanding of the vocabulary and had wonderful questions to pose from Barrington’s own meteorologist. She’ll be back after the break to meet with our third graders as well.

 

Modular classrooms are scheduled for delivery later this month. In preparation for this anticipated arrival, we will be adjusting our arrival and dismissal procedures to many of the pre-Covid methods. Details are still being finalized, but beginning December 19th, the following changes will be implemented in preparation for the arrival of the modular classroom unit. 

 

  • Mini buses will continue to use the Upper Parking lot for both arrival and dismissal

  • Childcare vans and buses will use the upper parking lot for arrival and dismissal 

  • (full size) Buses will drop off and pick up in the lower parking lot in the morning and afternoon

  • Parent drop off and pick ups at the front door will remain the same, however we are looking into adjusting the time children are able to come inside to alleviate the traffic congestion. 

  •  At pick up time, parents will show ID at front doors and children will come to meet families there

  • Parent car drop off lines will no longer be available due to the changes in bus needs. Parents will park in the upper lot or along Middle Highway to drop off and pick up students at the front entrance. 

 

Please note that it is imperative that we all work together to keep one another safe during the process. Please be mindful of walking traffic in the lots and do not pass the mini buses when they are unloading students. We have several families who require handicap accessible parking, so those spots are not to be used for passage or quick drop off unless you have the proper parking placard. This reminder is due to an issue that we had earlier this week and I want to be sure we are all being mindful. 

 

Lost and Found: As you know the lost and found continues to grow. If you recognize any of the items in the photos below, please call or email and we can help your child retrieve them.   

National Computer Science Week.  As we shared in last week’s newsletter, schools everywhere work to recognize the importance of understanding and respecting technology.  Well, at Primrose we are already on the map to have our students discover the skills and joy of coding.  Each grade explored a different style of block programming including Kodable, Code Monkey, Code.org and ScratchJr.  Many of our students last year were heavily involved in "Coding as Another Language" through the DevTech Research Group at Tufts University, so they certainly will be eager to share their talents… all of which are tied to the 6 C's. We will be sending home links for you to explore at home once we have given the students time to launch at school. Our Primrose students love to code and had a wonderful time working on a variety of projects this week. 

The CodeFAM night at Barrington Middle School was a nice opportunity for families to come together and learn more about coding this past week. I know Mrs Hines was pleased to see some of our families there. Special thanks to BMS educators, Mark Davis and Melanie Roy who showcased student-designed games and taught guests how to code on their own. 

 

Happy Coding, 

Ms.Jennifer Hines

Primrose Math Specialist

Our S.T.A.R (Staff Teacher Appreciation Recognition) certificate is the perfect holiday gift!

Let's recognize our teachers, administrators and staff for being the STARS that they are! Your donations not only honor our teachers but help fund BEF’s donations to Barrington Schools!

Make a tax-deductible donation to Barrington Education Foundation, and we will send each of your honorees a beautiful S.T.A.R. certificate.* (Min. of $10 per certificate.) See example of the certificate HERE . Orders are due by Friday, December 16th. 

BEF champions extraordinary educational opportunities in the Barrington public schools.

PRIMROSE PTO 

Primrose Holiday Store

The annual holiday store is happening from December 13 - 15. All kids will have the opportunity to attend with their classes to shop for small gifts and books, items 

                 will cost between $1-10. We're looking for parent volunteers, please sign up if 

                 you're available to help out. Thanks!

 

Special thanks to the PTO for the wonderful luncheon on Parent/Teacher Conferences today from Vendi! It was a welcomed treat on our day of family meetings and most certainly fueled us through the day. Grazie!

PTO Website: Please take a quick moment to log into the PTO website and opt into the family directory at https://www.primrosehillpto.org/directory. Once this is done, you’ll be included in the Room Parents' list to be informed when class parties, events, and fundraisers are being planned.

Support the Primrose Hill PTO through Box Tops for Education and Amazon Smile!

 

 

Box Tops for Education:  No more clipping! All you need to do is download the app and scan your receipts. The new and improved Box Tops mobile app finds participating products on your receipts and instantly adds money to the school's earnings online. Box Tops works with paper receipts and digital receipts. 

 

 Here's how to sign up for Box Tops for Education:

1. Download the app for iOS or Android

2. Sign up for an account

3. Choose: Primrose Hill School Elementary School

4. Buy Box Tops products at the store

5. Scan your receipt to submit Box Tops within 14 days of purchase

  => Open the app

  => Tap scan receipt

 

Amazon Smile: Amazon will donate 0.5% to Primrose Hill Elementary School for your eligible  Amazon Smile purchases.   AmazonSmile works just like the Amazon you already know; same products, same prices, same service.  AmazonSmile can even be used with your Prime membership. 

 

Here's how to sign up for AmazonSmile:

 

1. Visit smile.amazon.com

2. Sign in with your Amazon.com credentials

3. Choose: Primrose Hill School Parent Teacher Organization

4. Add a bookmark for smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile

4. Start shopping!

 

Turn on AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app

1. Make sure you're signed up for AmazonSmile (use your web browser to visit smile.amazon.com)

2. Download or update to the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app for iOS or Android

3. Open the app and find “Settings” in the main menu (☰)

4. Tap on “AmazonSmile” and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile in the app.

If you are interested in helping out with any events at school, please reach out! New software helps parents connect with other parents (great for planning play dates and birthday parties), pre-register for events (and avoid standing in line!), learn about volunteer opportunities (YOU make Primrose the amazing school it is by your participation and support), and so much more!

Have a wonderful weekend!