August 15, 2023

Dear Barton School Parents & Guardians,

On behalf of the entire staff, I am happy to welcome our new and returning students and families to the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. Our staff eagerly awaits the smiles, laughter and enthusiasm of our Barton Tigers as we welcome them back for their first day of school on Tuesday, August 29.

Our dedicated staff has been working diligently to prepare for the start of the year school. I would like to extend a huge thank you to our amazing custodial staff for their efforts to prepare our facilities.

Our school day begins at 8:00 a.m. The building opens for students at 7:45 a.m. for breakfast. It is really important that students do not arrive before 7:45 as there is no supervision. Students will be marked tardy if arriving after 8:05 a.m. Our school day ends at 3:00 p.m. Walkers will be dismissed first. Our parent pick up process will begin promptly after walkers are dismissed around 3:05 p.m. Our buses load and leave school grounds around 3:20 p.m. More information about our arrival and dismissal procedures can be found in our Student & Parent Handbook attached below.

Our district will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, whether or not your family’s income qualifies. Through Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) with a high free or reduced hot lunch population, which we have, we are able to receive more federal reimbursement. Please note there will still be additional cost for extra food, juice, or milk. If you would like your child to participate in this option, please send money to be credited to his/her account as charging will not be an option.

Included in this newsletter is a copy of our school wide behavior expectations/agreements so that you and your child can review them together before the first day of school. Please note, students and staff will be collaborating at the start of the school year to create community agreements. These changes will be shared with you.

If you have any questions about these expectations, please feel free to contact me or to discuss them with your child’s teacher. It is very important that you and your child are fully informed regarding standards related to appropriate behavior for a safe and productive school year. These expectations and more information about our behavior system can be reviewed in our student handbook.

On the first day of school, your child will be sent home with a packet which includes emergency forms and other important information. Please send these completed forms back as soon as possible. In the case of illness or an emergency, we need up-to-date information. We are expected to ask families to complete a free/reduced hot lunch program application. This helps us to rank our school for federal reimbursement.

Throughout the school year, you will be receiving regular newsletters and updates from the school. Please make sure to check your email, child(ren)’s backpacks, our Barton Parent Club Facebook page and our updated OCSU website so you can stay current with upcoming events and celebrations happening in our school.

I have been honored to serve as the principal of Barton Graded School for the last four years and I look forward to another wonderful school year! Our staff values a productive partnership with you to ensure our children can achieve their highest potential. Please know I welcome any opportunity to meet with you in person. I can also be reached by email at jlawrence@ocsu.org or by telephone at 802-525-3636 ext. 111.

On August 24, between 2:00-3:00 p.m., we welcome you to stop by for a visit. See your classroom(s) and meet your teachers. We hope to see you and help ease those first day jitters.

Let’s make it a great year! Go Tigers!

Warm Regards,

Jenna Lawrence, Principal