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Barton Junior High School

Barton Junior High School

January 2024

INFORMATION ABOUT THE WILDKITTEN WAY NEWSLETTER

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Welcome to the Wildkitten Way!


Here is the month of January's layout:


Principal's Note: Mrs. Henry

Feature Articles:

  • Job Shadowing
  • School Dance
  • New Year's Resolutions

Yearbook Information

Calendar

PRINCIPAL'S NOTE: MRS. HENRY

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WELCOME BACK! We hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season and time off with people you love. It is always great to be able to stop and rest, even if for a short time. At Barton, we are rested and excited to begin our second semester! Please look for your child's report card to come home on Wednesday, January 10!!


We would like to congratulate Camdyn Jacobs for being selected as our student of the month. In addition, Tammy McCloy was selected as our teacher of the month and Doris Johnson was selected as our employee of the month! All of these outstanding individuals will be recognized at the January meeting of the school board on January 8 at 6pm! We are proud for them to represent Barton!


Barton students will be taking our mid-year STAR tests in reading and math soon. The reading STAR test will be January 9, and the math STAR test will be January 11. Please encourage your child to do his or her best! We want to see scores increase from their beginning of the year tests. We will be monitoring scores and rewarding students for increasing their score! Please also make sure your child is at school on these days so they do not have to make up the testing. These tests will take place during their regular math / literacy classes.


Many things are to come as we roll into the last half of this school year! We will hold a PARENT RESOURCE NIGHT at Barton, in our cafeteria, on February 1 @ 6pm. Please make plans to attend, without your student, to gain useful information to help you! Each student whose parent attends will receive 10 MINGA points!!


Also, I would like to get our State Testing dates out there so you know when that is coming up. It is so important for all of our students to be tested. These dates are as follows:


ATLAS Writing testing will be: (Writing is tested separately from the other subjects)

8th graders - March 7

7th graders - March 12


ATLAS (English, Reading, Math, Science) testing:

8th graders - April 22, 25, 29, May 2

7th graders - April 23, 26, 30, May 3


In addition to testing dates, I would also like to make parents aware that Barton will allow exam exemptions for the 2nd semester exams. Several things will go into students being eligible for exemption, but the main thing you need to know right now is ATTENDANCE will play a part! ONLY students missing 5 days or less will be eligible for exemption from exams. This includes excused or unexcused absences. The only absence not counted would be field trips such as athletics, quizbowl, robotics, archery, student council, etc. More information will be given as the semester progresses, but attendance and grades are key! The attendance record for exam exemption will begin on Monday, January 8.


As always, Barton appreciates your support of our school as we strive to do what is best for our students each day! Thank you for trusting and partnering with us!

FEATURE ARTICLES

Career Development: Job Shadowing by Jasmine Edwards

Have you ever wanted to see how your favorite job goes? Well some of our BJHS Wildkittens got to see exactly how various businesses work on a daily basis on November 30, 2023. They got to see how this went because they went to job-shadow.


The Barton Wildkittens went to job-shadow people who they thought would fit into their dream career cluster. There are 16 career clusters offering a wide variety of career choices.


When talking to someone who was job shadowed, 1st grade teacher Kim Ibert, this is what she said about it, "I think it's great for junior high kids to get to see different professions and get a real experience. Personally with me being a teacher, not everyone knows the details and the "behind the scenes" of what being an elementary teacher is like." This goes a little more into detail on how exactly it benefits the kids.


Mrs. Ibert also said, "It's more than just playing all day. We take curriculum and turn it into hands-on activities that make meaningful learning experiences. My students love having guests in the room and love showing what they know to others." This quote allows us to see that it can be beneficial to the people who were shadowed as well.


With job shadowing, we really have to trust our kids with the reputation of the school. If you do job shadow, the best way to help the school is to not act up, be respectful, and responsible.


We know our students can't wait till the next job shadowing opportunities!

School Dance by Izzie Smith

On December 8th, Barton Jr High had a Christmas Pajama dance. At this event there were many things to do. We had a DJ that played the songs while everybody was dancing or talking.

The students had to pay 5 dollars for the dance. This gave them a chance to have memories at the dance that could last forever.


I interviewed three people about the dance. The question asked was “What do you think about the dance?” BJHS student Autumn King, stated “ It was very loud but very cool”. We interviewed another person at the dance, Marissa Simmons. Her response was, “Some people made it awkward but otherwise it was really fun”. Now we know that the students actually enjoy the dances. This gives the school a reason to have more dances and events in the future.


Interviewing people at the dance shows a face of reality and the student’s point of view. Having these surroundings gives the student’s a safe environment to be in but also having fun. At the dance the theme was a Christmas Pajama Dance. The students got to dress up in comfortable clothing that they normally can’t wear in school. Giving the students an opportunity to go to a dance, but not have the pressure of wearing the fanciest clothing or things.


This dance gave the students to be around friends and teachers without being in school and getting in trouble for not getting to class in the halls. Having dances at Barton gives students a reason to make good decisions during school.


The way it works at Barton is if a dance or event is coming up, you will go if your behavior is good enough. This means you have not been tardy to class much, been put in AC (alternative classroom), or even Saturday school. Having events or dances gives such a big chance for the students to do the right thing and get rewarded.


New Year's Resolutions by Abby Davis

New Year's Resolutions are a promise that you make to yourself to start doing something good or stop doing something bad on the first day of the year.


I interviewed Jermya Candley, an 8th grader at BJHS, and Elanene White, 7th grade BJHS teacher, about new years resolutions.


Mrs. White said “ My New Year's Resolution is to live healthier so I can be here for my children and my grandchildren.”


“Getting better grades in my social studies class and my English.” Candley said was her resolution.


Resolutions during the start of the new year can be a start, or a push, to do better than the year before. It's wonderful, and useful to many.

YEARBOOK INFORMATION

YEARBOOKS ARE STILL ON SALE! They are $29.63. You can either place an order in person with Ms. Smith in room 114, or online at jostens.com/ybk or jostensyearbook.com! PLEASE FILL OUT A FORM PRIOR TO PURCHASING! Get yours soon! The last day for personalization is January 26th! For any questions, please feel free to email Kayla.smith@esd-15.org or Kalee.cook@esd-15.org.

CALENDAR

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January Calendar

January 10th: Report Cards sent home

January 12th & 13th: Archery Tournament

January 15th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day- NO SCHOOL!

January 19-20: Archery Tournament

EL DORADO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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The Wildkitten Way
Official Newsletter for the Barton Junior High Wildkittens
For more information, email: michelle.henry@esd-15.org
Location: 400 W. Faulkner Street, El Dorado, AR, USA
Phone: 870.864.5051