The Creek's Corner:

• February 12...PROGRESS REPORTS COME HOME

• February 14...Valentine's Day Parties
• February 15...Early Dismissal (@1:40)
• February 20...CLASS Picture Day
• February 22...HCE 5th Grade Band Night (4:30 - 7:30)
• February 27...3rd-5th ATLAS Science Interim

The CKH Leadworthy Character Word for FEBRUARY is KINDNESS.

What is KINDNESS?

Kindness is the ability and willingness to express care and compassion for others. Kindness is a choice to use our time, talent, and resources to better the lives of others and the world through genuine acts of love, compassion, generosity, and service.

Why focus on KINDNESS?

KINDNESS boosts positive emotions. Acts of kindness create neural pathways that enhance feelings of well-being and the natural flow of feel-good endorphins and neurotransmitters.

KINDNESS is self-replicating. When we perform an act of kindness, it is likely to encourage others to act in a similar way.

KINDNESS reduces stress and anxiety. Kindness promotes positive relationships with other people. Anything that helps you to build bonds with other people helps decrease anxiety.

Our students, who consistently exemplify kindness throughout FEBRUARY, are likely to be chosen as the Leadworthy Spotlight Winner for their class. Winners get to have a special lunch with the principals!

Please encourage your child to lead with great character each day!

Primary Care Triple P: Positive Parenting Program

(This is a one-on-one intervention)

Targeted Population:

• Parents of Pre-K through 5th grade students

• Parents seeking information about how to address a specific parenting or child behavior issue

• The family situation is reasonably stable (i.e. not in the middle of separation/divorce, parent has psychological issues themselves, or the child has major psychological issues that have not yet been addressed)

Families will participate in a few assessments. Based on the outcome of those assessments, the Triple P Team may determine whether this level of intervention will be beneficial for a family. If it is not going to be beneficial, and they recommend a higher level of care, such as family counseling that would involve more intense involvement, the team will make an outside counseling recommendation to the family and let the referring principal know.

Program Objectives:

• Increase parents’ confidence in managing common behavior problems and developmental issues

• Reducing parents’ use of coercive and punitive methods of disciplining children (focusing on pre-teaching desired behaviors, rather than just reacting to a bad behavior)

• Improving parents’ communication and reducing parental stress

IF you are interested, please reach out to Mrs. Williams (Principal) or Ms. Dockery (Counselor), and they will get your information submitted to the team. Thank you!

~RENAISSANCE Culture at The Creek!

Recently, our fifth graders have been learning about the Renaissance through their CKLA unit. Friday morning, they were visited by Sir Thomas Gates and Queen Catherine de’ Medici of The Hot Springs Renaissance Faire to bring their Renaissance learning to life! Students had the opportunity to ask questions about Renaissance Life and learn more about what they have been studying in class. We are so grateful to our community partners for taking the time to help our young Patriots make meaningful text-to-world connections!❤️🤍💙

~National School Counseling Week

Last week, we celebrated our wonderful guidance counselor, Ms. Kelli Dockery, in honor of National School Counseling Week! Ms. Dockery has spent 24 years in education with 18 of those years as guidance counselor. There’s no doubt that she has touched hundreds of lives through her love and dedication as counselor, and she continues to do so daily at The Creek! We truly love and appreciate Ms. Dockery!❤️🤍💙

~Class Attendance Incentive

When all students in a classroom are present and on time, with no early checkouts, the class receives a star for the day. Upon the 20th star, the class becomes eligible for the Class Attendance Incentive. There is a different incentive each month, so whatever the incentive is during the month a class reaches 20 stars, that's what they'll receive.

• October: Mrs. Stringer's class reached 20 stars and received a GLOW STICK PARTY!
• November: The following classes reached 20 stars and received a DANCE PARTY:
• Mrs. Penfield; Mrs. Finley; Mrs. DeVito; Mrs. Watts
• December: The following classes reached 20 stars and received MUSIC and FUN ACTIVITIES in the gym:
• Mrs. Garner; Mrs. Martindale; Mrs. Johnson; Mrs. D. Jones
• January: The following classes have reached 20 stars so far and received EXTRA RECESS :
• Mrs. A. Jones; Mrs. Devine; Ms. Brasuell; Mrs. Broach; Mrs. Froman (Ray); Mrs. Devine

We are so proud of our students for showing up to school each day--ready to learn at high levels!

~EARLY DISMISSAL: Thursday, February 15th

Parents, please be reminded that school dismisses at 1:40pm on Thursday, February 15th. We are asking that you make sure your students are picked up by 2:10pm. Our staff (including administrators) has important professional development/training beginning at 2:15, and staff is not available for supervision of students. We appreciate your support with ensuring all students are picked up on time!

~ATTENDANCE is VITAL to SUCCESS

Parents, I am truly concerned about the vast increase in tardies and absences. I am asking that you process and understand the importance of having our students to school, on time, each school day. When students are absent and/or tardy, they miss instruction that is essential to their overall academic success. Again...if you are having trouble and need support regarding getting your student to school on time, please reach out to me. I can help you develop a more effective and efficient plan for on-time arrival to school. We need and want our babies in school. As the adults in their lives, it is our responsibility to do what it takes to set them up for success. We CANNOT fail them.❤️

THANK YOU for your continued support!

HCE PTO's Cookie Dough Fundraiser has been extended through Wednesday, February 14th:

• Forms and money will be due @8:00am.
• There is an option to purchase online: www.shopfund.com.
  
• Cookie dough will be ready for pick-up on P/T Conference day in March!

~Valentine's Day Parties (Wednesday, February 14, 2024)

Parents, I know you have already received correspondence from your child's teacher regarding HCE Valentine's Day parties, but there are some housekeeping things I'd like to share with you. Please read and adhere to the following:

• NO LUNCH VISITORS
• We will not have visitors during lunch on this day. You are welcome to attend your child's Valentine's Day Party instead.
• 2023-24 Visitor Expectations
  
• Please read this document carefully and follow these expectations when visiting.
• PARTY TIMES (YOU MUST CHECK IN FOR PARTIES AT THE FRONT OFFICE)
• CBI (12:00 - 12:30)
• Kindergarten - Second (1:00 - 1:30)
• Third - Fifth (1:45 - 2:15)
• If you have more than one student and will attend both party times, please wait in your car or in the cafeteria during the transition.
• HCES students will only attend their class' Valentine's Day party. Students may not leave their party to attend their sibling's party.
• Non-HCE siblings/students are not permitted to attend HCE parties, so please make arrangements for other children (under the age of 18) who are not students at HCE.
• During the party, teachers will have a sign-out sheet for you to use to sign out your student, as opposed to signing out in the office. IMPORTANT: PLEASE do not remove students from classrooms without signing them out with their teacher, as we will use these to determine which students left with parents.

We appreciate your support with this!

Something BIG is happening for our LITTLE ones! Bryant Pre-K registration opens this week! Applications will be available on February 12th. Visit bryantschools.org/prek-registration for more information. #SuccessStartsHere

Our archery team is very excited to qualify for state for the third year in a row and will be participating in the state archery tournament on March 1st in Hot Springs, AR. Hunters Feeding the Hungry is putting on a drive for the state archery tournament, and HCE Archery wants to go the extra mile by hosting a school-wide canned food drive! The classroom that donates the most canned goods by February 27th will receive a popsicle party and $100 of school supplies donated to their classroom!

Coach Gore says, “We are so excited to participate in this event, and we hope that we can represent The Creek and Bryant Schools by donating the most canned goods!”

HCE Parents,

The Hurricane Creek Elementary School yearbook is on sale, but we must finalize the number of copies to order by February 23rd. We can’t guarantee that there will be extra copies to buy after this date. ORDER NOW by CLICKING HERE or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://jostensyearbooks.com?ref=A01116377.

We are only 21 books away from our sale goal. Please help us reach that goal!😍

• One of the standards in the BSD Comprehensive Counseling Plan is to educate students about living healthy and the effects of nicotine. HCES partners with Dawson Educational Co-Op and Arkansas Department of Health to present the age-appropriate Coral's Reef program to students. The goal of the Coral Reef program is to reach children with prevention and educational information at an early age to prevent initiation into tobacco and nicotine use as they get older.

• Project Prevent contests are open for 2024.
• https://projectpreventar.org/what-we-do/my-reason-to-write.html

• February Mental Health Newsletter: Emotional regulation is the key to building resilient, well-adjusted children. In today's fast-paced world, it's crucial for parents to be in the know about nurturing emotional intelligence. This newsletter is your guide to understanding the importance of emotional regulation and how it shapes your child's future success and well-being. Join our community of proactive parents and equip yourself with invaluable insights and strategies. Start your journey towards fostering emotional intelligence in your child.

FEBRUARY Parent Guidance Newsletter

• "Creativity & Clarity: Emotional Regulation"
• February Parent Newsletter
  
• February Parent Newsletter (Spanish)
  

• Please encourage your student to wash his/her hands thoroughly, use a kleenex or tissue to clean his/her nose, etc. We have so many illnesses going around, and students need to know how to help lessen the spread.
• If you have received a "failed vision" letter from me, I have vision vouchers available. Please let me know if you need assistance.
• Make sure students come to school with coats and are appropriately dressed for the weather.
  
• Please remember that if your child is sick, do not send them to school.
• If they are running a fever of 100.0 or greater, they have to be fever free for 24 hours (without medication) prior to returning to school.
• Also, if your child is vomiting, keep them home for 24 hours until vomiting has stopped, also without medication.
• Please send extra clothes in your child's backpack to bring to school in case of an accident.
• Encourage your child to not share combs, hats, scarfs, headbands, or coats with other students for hygiene reasons.

Therefore, our next meeting will be held on February 12th.

**Our PTO is in need of parent volunteers. Please join and support. Thank you!❤️🤍💙**

• HCE PTO MEMBER HUB (Please join!)

• District Calendar

• BPS Elementary Curriculum

• Free and Reduced Lunch Online Application

• Hurricane Creek Elementary Facebook Page

• Hurricane Creek Elementary School | Home

• Hurricane Creek Elementary PTO | Benton AR

• HCES Lunch Visitor Schedule and Expectations

• HCE Snack Days 2023-2024

• 2023-24 Elementary Handbook (ENGLISH)
  

• 2023-24 Elementary Handbook (SPANISH)