BES Parent Newsletter

Remember that our Meet the Teacher will be on Friday, August 13. 1st & 2nd grade between 8:00 and 9:00 am and grades 3-5 between 9:00 and 10:00. These times were chosen so that there will only be one grade level having their students and parents on the hall at one time. We are still expected to encourage social distancing anytime that we possibly can. Having said that, please come to this event during the time set aside for your child's grade level.

After school applications will be available for pickup at Meet the Teacher. We will have a table set up in the front lobby.

Kindergarten students should not come to Meet the Teacher because they will not be placed into a teacher's class until after Kinder Camp next week. Kindergarten parents have an information packet with a calendar that explains the timeline and what happens in the next couple of weeks for their children.

If you are not able to come to Meet the Teacher due to work schedule or vacation, etc., you may walk your student to class on the first day of school between 7:30 am and 7:50 am. All parents need to be out of the classrooms no later than 8:00 am. If you attend Meet the Teacher, you should NOT walk your child in on Monday. We have over 425 1st-5th grade students; if all of them have one parent walk them in that is 850 people coming into the building all at once and we simply cannot have that many people in the halls at the same time. I am trusting in advance that you will comply with this request. I am perfectly fine with you using me as the "bad guy"...meaning you can tell your child that Mrs. Hollingsworth said you can't walk them in on Monday if you came to Meet the Teacher on Friday. I promise we will make sure they get to class; there will be school staff out and about all around the building Monday morning making sure that all students find their classrooms.

Each teacher will be gathering parent preference in writing as to whether or not you want your child to wear a mask. Teachers will be "mask reminders" but not the "mask police". If you communicate that you want your child to wear a mask and the student takes it off, the teacher will remind them several times that you want them to wear it and then they will communicate to you that your child isn't keeping it on.

Masks are required by all staff and students on school buses.

When a child gets sick at school and we call home and are waiting for someone to come pick him/her up, the child will be required to wear a mask while waiting to be picked up.

Breakfast and lunch are free for all students again this year. We would appreciate if you would complete the free/reduced lunch application anyway because some of our funding comes from our percentage of students who qualify for that program. More information about the free/reduced lunch application will be included in the beginning of the year packet of paperwork that will be coming home with your child.

Students will be picking up a bagged breakfast in the lobby in the mornings and taking it to the classrooms and eating it when school starts at 7:50 am. This is just like last year.

Lunch will be a bit different from last year. As long as the weather is good, many/most of our classes will be eating lunch outside like they did last year. When the weather doesn't cooperate with that and as it gets colder, grade levels will be taking turns eating in the cafeteria and in the classroom. As stated before, we are still social distancing to the extent that is possible. We have measured and have put Xs on the seats in the cafeteria where students can sit and still be safely distanced. We know exactly the number of students who can safely eat in the cafeteria at one time and are finalizing schedules based on that information.

We haven't had any interest in our full time custodian position. If you know of anyone who might be interested in a part time custodian job, we can divide the full time into two part time positions. The part time position would be working 3.5-4 hours a day Monday-Friday. Please ask any interested folks to call the school at 646-3448 and ask for Mrs. Watson or Mrs. Hollingsworth.

BES and BMS share buses and bus routes. There are 7 total buses (3 are housed at BES and 4 are housed at BMS). Here are the bus numbers and drivers' names:

BES

Bus 28-Diana Chinn

Bus 62-Tracy Fowler (AM)/Brandon McGaha (PM)

Bus 182-Larry Erwin

BMS

Bus 7-Subs while we have someone finalizing their bus license (Subs will be Mrs. Watson in the AM and Dorothea Stewart in the PM)

Bus 16-Spencer Reeves

Bus 21-Nick Messer

Bus 42-Brian Coward

Any BES student that rides to BMS will get on Bus 42.

As the school year gets ready to begin, please remember that the school day begins each day at 7:50 am. By the time the tardy bell rings at 8:00 am, students have already unpacked their backpack and placed all their belongings in their cubby, they're working on morning work or some activity the teacher has ready for them, and they're eating their breakfast. If your child comes in consistently right as the tardy bell is ringing at 8:00 am, he/she is starting out the day already feeling behind. The tardy bell is a safety net for mornings when things all go crazy and you're just running late, but 8:00 am should NOT be the goal. The goal needs to be for your child to be in the building at 7:50 am. New Year...Fresh Start!!!

Thank you for all your hard work and support as we begin another interesting year. We love your kids and are so glad that your family is a part of #BETHELSTRONG...Bethel the Beautiful, Bethel the Best:)