The B.Y.E. Buzz

Welcome back to the BEST school year yet! School will be starting on MONDAY!!! We are very excited to start the year and had a great turnout at the Meet the Teacher nights. This newsletter will give lots of back to school information and help answer questions you may have. Please complete the parent "to do" list below. We look forward to seeing our returning Yellowjacket families and meeting our new ones.

First Day Reminders: While many students walk in by themselves on the first day, you are welcome to walk your child in on day 1 if you would like. We have plenty of extra staff helping students find their class. We may have rainy days next week so please be patient with the car line. It always takes longer at the beginning of the year while everyone is learning the systems and rain may add more time to our car lines. Please see maps below and information about car line. It is very important that you enter from the correct direction for drop off/pick up. Please do not turn left off of Carver or right off of Elizabeth. This backs up traffic and also does not guarantee that we have your car tag number entered. Thanks so much!

Note: Newsletters will not always have this much information.

A new school year comes with things to do to get prepared. Please help by doing these things before school starts.

• Complete the technology form below before the first day of school so your child can access school technology.
• Purchase School Supplies at local stores. Please follow the school supply chart. Some of the local vendors have incorrect lists for local schools. If you need assistance with school supplies, contact Mrs. Norwood (cnorwood@sdale.org) or Mrs. Kennedy (skennedy@sdale.org).
• Contact Stephanie Mounce at smounce@sdale.org if your address has changed. Students will find out who their teacher is through a mailed letter.
• Sign-up for email newsletter and text (see below). ALL important information will be sent this way. The weekly newsletter is our primary form of communication.
• Be sure to follow us on Facebook (Bernice Young Elementary School) and Instagram (youngyellowjackets) for up-to-date information.
• All Springdale Public Schools staff and teachers will use a program called Rooms beginning this year. Please add the Springdale Public Schools app so that you will be ready! See below.
• We have a few extra yearbooks from the 23-24 school year available in the office. They are $35- correct change or check.

We are blessed with an amazing school nurse! Meet Nurse Lindsay and drop off any medications. Please do not send medicines with students. Don't forget the doctor order and original medication container.

Save the Date! Come learn more about what your students learn at school, how you can help at home, parents and STEAM, and meet the administrators.

Do you qualify for free and reduced lunch? Complete this form to see! As a reminder, qualifying for free and reduced lunch helps the school more than just offering the free meal. This status is confidential and helps us provide other resources in the district like nurses, school resource officers, and social workers.

• Students can bring a lunch from home or purchase a lunch from school. Please use the School Cafe link above to put money on your child's account OR apply for free/reduced lunch.
  
• Students will have two lunch choices (purchase or free). We will post the monthly menu or it can be found on the district website. Kindergarten students will have one option the first month while they learn the routines. This will be the highlighted option.
  
• We welcome parents to eat lunch with their child(ren). The PTA has purchased picnic tables that are outside of the library for families to enjoy. If the weather is not appropriate for outdoor picnics, we have tables in the middle hall for families to enjoy. We will allow parents to eat with their children beginning the second week of school. Only family members listed on a child's enrollment may eat with them at school unless we have parent permission. Students are not allowed to bring a friend/classmate to eat unless we have parent permission.

Arrival:

The doors will open at 7:25 and students will report straight to their classrooms or to eat breakfast in the cafeteria. Please do not drop students off prior to 7:25. Bus riders and Pre-K students will enter through the back doors off of Harber road. Car riders can be dropped off at either the front doors or the side doors of the school. We strongly encourage those that have students in kindergarten and first grade to use the front doors. Please pull ALL the way forward so multiple students can exit their cars at the same time. Students that are walking/riding bikes should enter through the front doors and not arrive before 7:25. Parents will be allowed to walk students to class on the first day of school. After that, students will enter the building on their own.

Dismissal:

Dismissal begins at 3:10 with bus riders, car riders, and After School Program students. Parents will display car tags with students names and numbers. A staff member will type in your number and your child's name will display in their classroom. At that time, students will report to their car.

K and 1st grade (and siblings) will report to the front door. 2nd- 5th grade students will exit from the west side of the building out of the blue/green hallways. It is VERY important you go to the correct location for pick up in the afternoon so your child reports to your car. Cars will be directed to the front at the end of the car line. Walkers will be dismissed at 3:20. They are dismissed out of the yellow hall door on the East side of the building. Please do not have students walk to your car parked on a side street or at the pool. Please be patient for the first few weeks. The car line will eventually finish in ten minutes, but getting in the routine takes some time. Car tags will be handed out at the Open House.

Note:

Kindergarten and 1st-grade students will be given lanyards to wear to and from school. These lanyards identify which classroom the child is in and how the child gets home from school. Lanyards allow us to help all students find their classroom the first week of school. They will not wear the lanyard during the school day.

Here are some helpful tips to make mornings easier for you and your child(ren)!

• Make sure everyone is getting enough sleep.

• Adjust bedtimes and wake up times if needed.

• Prepare the night before.

• Plan breakfast, pack lunches, choose clothes

• Have a designated area in your house for backpacks, shoes, lunchbox, etc.

• Get up before your child(ren)

• This gives you some quiet time before you have to wake them and gets you prepared for your day. When parents are calm, kids will most likely be as well.

• Make a morning routine chart/checklist. Include visuals for the younger children.

• Brushing teeth, combing hair, washing face, getting dressed, eating breakfast, putting on shoes, grabbing backpack/lunchbox, head out the door.

• This helps your child become self-sufficient and learn routines.

• Use the “When...Then” approach if needed.

• When you finish brushing your hair and putting your clothes on, then we will eat breakfast.

• Remain calm and connected.

• Children can sense when you are rushed/stressed and they tend to mirror your actions and tone. When you start to get stressed, get down on their level and explain to them why you need their help and give them a task to take ownership of.

• Try not to stray too much from your morning routine on the weekends.

If needed:

Link to virtual office https://rb.gy/4s94ib

Link to counselor request form https://forms.gle/iguLWFavfvUyfo1B8

“We're calling on parents and community members to step up and become monthly sponsors for the SnackPacks for Kids program. Each school year, Samaritan Community Center sends home over 200,000 bags of food to our NWA students who face weekend food insecurity. For just $30 a month, you can ensure that two students at your child's school receive weekly SnackPacks, helping them stay focused and energized for learning. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our students. Visit samcc.org/givesnackpacks to sign up as a monthly donor or make a one-time contribution today.”

A parent can deny permission for any of the following scenarios:

• Video taping of student
• Publication of a student’s written and/or art work within a school, on a school website, or on media outlets
• Use of a student’s first name
• Use of a student’s picture
• Access to computers and the use of internet for instructional purposes

August 12- First Day of School

September 2- No School- Happy Labor Day

September 11- Papa John's Pizza Night

September 16-17 Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences

September 30- Hearing and Vision Screenings for students in K/1/2/4

October 16- Picture Day

October 18- No School. Flex Day for staff

November 21- Student Flu Shot Clinic

• Bernice Young Elementary was established in August 2000.
• School mascot is the Yellowjacket
• School colors are Red, Yellow, and Black
• National Blue Ribbon School 2020
• Principal- Christy Norwood (cnorwood@sdale.org)
• Assistant Principal- Sara Kennedy (skennedy@sdale.org)

Website: https://young.sdale.org/
Location: 301 Pippin Apple Circle, Springdale, AR, USA
Phone: (479)750-8770
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bernice-Young-Elementary-School-158776284137531/