ECLC Peek at The Week

What a start to the school year! Your children have stepped in with joy, confidence, and purpose. Parents, thank you for the support that has made this possible. A year of growth is well underway.

The kindergarten team has a field trip planned for October and needs chaperones. You have to be an approved volunteer to join in the fun. The preschool team is also seeking Guest Readers. Again, you have to be an approved volunteer to sign up. See the information at the end of this newsletter to get volunteer approved. If you got approved last year, please do this again as it's required annually. It does take a couple of weeks for fingerprinting to come back to us, so don't wait!

Respectfully,

Laura

At the start of every school year, our teachers dedicate the first six weeks to building a strong foundation for learning. During this important time, students learn not just academics, but how we work and live together at school.

The goals of the first six weeks are to:

• Build community so every child feels safe, welcomed, and connected.

• Teach routines and expectations step by step, so students know how to move through their day with confidence.

• Create classroom rules together, helping children understand the “why” behind expectations.

• Develop academic habits like focus, persistence, and respectful collaboration.

By investing time in these areas now, we help students feel comfortable, confident, and ready to succeed for the rest of the year.

This ties into the Code of Conduct as we are being proactive and assuring students understand the expectations.

The Barrington School District is committed to creating a safe, supportive environment where every child can learn and grow. To help achieve this, we follow a districtwide Code of Conduct that sets clear expectations for behavior and outlines how we support students in meeting those expectations.

Our approach emphasizes positive discipline, meaning rules are taught, modeled, and practiced. When challenges arise, staff respond calmly with logical, respectful, and consistent consequences. We also use a range of supports and interventions, from proactive classroom strategies and relationship building to more targeted or intensive supports when needed.

This framework ensures that all students know what is expected, feel supported, and have opportunities to learn from mistakes. Together, we are building a school climate where every child can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

How Parents Can Help at Home

• Talk with your child about the importance of respect, kindness, and responsibility.

• Review the school’s rules and expectations together.

• Model positive problem-solving and calm conflict resolution.

• Praise your child for their efforts and progress, not just outcomes.

• Keep open communication with your child’s teacher or school staff.

• Encourage good routines (sleep, homework, organization) to set your child up for success.

Hello ECLC Community,

Your students have been working hard challenging their thinking brains and their feeling brains as the new school year begins! This month during social-emotional learning lessons (SEL) children will be learning about self-control and what being calm looks like, sounds like, and feels like. When we are in control and feeling calm, we like to call it being in the “green zone” or in the “learning zone”.

Whole class SEL lessons will start next week and will include learning and practicing calm down skills such as deep breaths and positive self-talk, and self-regulation skills such as resisting impulses and staying focused. Students will explore the difference between home expectations vs school expectations, and we will emphasize how you need more self-control at school in order to follow the rules and help keep everyone safe. We will slowly start to learn about how our brains work and will continue having developmentally appropriate brain science lessons throughout the year. The SEL lessons will utilize stories, music, art, and games to engage students in practicing these important strategies and skills. I am so excited to be a part of the ECLC community for another wonderful school year and to work with your students on developing their academic, social and emotional skills!

Any families who are in need of financial assistance with school breakfasts and/or lunch for their students are encouraged to apply for Free and/or Reduced Lunch. The online version of the application can be found in LINQConnect (directions below). If you would prefer a paper copy of the forms, please reach out to me, Brie Thomas, by email or phone and I can send a copy home discreetly in their folder in their backpacks, or you can stop by the main office to grab a copy. If you were approved last year, you DO need to reapply each school year, even if all of your information is the same. Any family of a child who attends ECLC can apply - even the half day students! Please make sure you apply as soon as possible:

To access the LINQConnect application form:

• Log into your LINQConnect account - https://linqconnect.com/main

• Under "Quick Links", select "Meal Applications" (bottom right of the screen)

• Type "Barrington" in the search engine to find the Barrington School District (Barrington, NH) online application form

Please feel free to reach out to me at any time throughout the year with any questions, ideas, or concerns. My email address is bthomas@sau74.org and I can be reached directly at 603-664-0890 or using the ECLC main line at 603-664-5586.

In Partnership,

Brie

Parents can promote self-management or self-control in young children at home by using the following strategies:

• Model Calm Behavior: Demonstrate self-control in your actions and reactions. Children learn by observing how adults handle stress and challenges.
• Create Routines: Establish consistent daily routines for meals, bedtime, and playtime to provide structure and help children know what to expect, reducing anxiety and promoting self-regulation.
• Use Positive Reinforcement: Praise and reward children when they display self-control, such as waiting their turn, sharing, or managing their emotions during a difficult situation.
• Teach Emotion Identification and Expression: Help children label their feelings (e.g., happy, sad, angry) and discuss appropriate ways to express these emotions, such as talking it out or using calming strategies.
• Encourage Problem-Solving Skills: When children face challenges, guide them in thinking through possible solutions rather than immediately solving problems for them.
• Practice Patience through Games: Engage in activities that require taking turns, following rules, or waiting, like board games, puzzles, or simple tasks.
• Set Clear Expectations and Boundaries: Clearly communicate rules and expectations, and be consistent in enforcing them, so children understand limits and consequences.
• Use Breathing and Relaxation Techniques: Teach simple deep breathing exercises, counting to ten, or visualization techniques to help children calm down when feeling overwhelmed.
• Encourage Physical Activity: Provide opportunities for regular physical play and exercise, which help release energy and can improve focus and self-regulation.
• Read Stories about Self-Control: Choose books or stories that highlight characters practicing self-control, and discuss the lessons learned.
  

By incorporating these strategies, parents can help children develop self-management skills that are crucial for their social and emotional development.

Barrington School District has started utilizing LINQ Connect to make online payments for your students’ meals.

You must go to https://linqconnect.com/ and make a new account in order to make payments towards your students’ meals. You can also submit a meal application through LINQ School Nutrition for the current school year. Click on “Sign up today!” to begin the process of making a new account and be sure to have the following information to successfully link your student(s) to your account:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Student ID (found on top right corner of the packet in your students folder)
• Date of Birth

You may also send in cash or checks but please make sure they are in a sealed bag/envelope with your students name clearly written; and (bonus points :) if you write their school ID too. This same number will follow them all throughout the Barrington School District.

If you have any issues please contact Danielle Augusta, augustad@whitsons.com with Fresh Picks or Brigid Connelly, bconnelly@sau74.org SAU74 Operations Manager.

Our cafeteria services have created a Meal Pack that you can purchase for either the AM or PM session. These packs are made at Barrington Middle School and then transported to the ECLC each morning.

What is a Meal Pack? It is simply a yogurt, fruit, vegetable and white milk (skim or 2%)

Can I purchase just a carton of milk? Yes

What is the cost? A meal is $3.35 and a milk only purchase is $.65

How do I order a meal for my children? Due to the timing of delivery, we cannot do day-by-day orders. You will need to send in an order form by Thursday for the entire following week.

If you would like your student to get the same choice each week you may note that on the form so you will not need to send in an order form each week.

Thank you for wanting to volunteer at the ECLC!

Visit https://services.dos.nh.gov/chri/cpo/ and select schedule a mandatory fingerprint and criminal record check.

· Select "Schedule a New Appointment".

· Type of Agency is "School Volunteer NHRSA 189 13-A"

· Select Agency is BARRINGTON SAU OFFICE.

• Read, sign and return the Volunteer Application and Ethics Form (this is a 2-sided form and the first page has a small signature line that gets missed a lot :) and an Acknowledgement and Disclosure Form to the school (you can send it in your students folder and it will get it to the office)

The SAU office will send Ms. Tracey a list of ‘cleared’ names each week. If you are on it, I will email you and the teacher to let you know you have been cleared to set up a time with them to come in.

If you haven’t heard from me within a reasonable time (usually a few weeks) please reach out to Christine Cyr, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent at 603.664.2715 or ccyr@sau74.org

If you or someone you care about is having a mental health or substance use crisis, you can call or speak to a training and caring staff at the NH Rapid Response Access Point.

Thursday Sept 3:

Friday Sept 4: No school: PD Day

Monday Sept 7: No school: Labor Day

Tuesday Sept 8: No School: PD Day /Voting at BMS

THE MONTHS AHEAD:

Sept 15: Picture Day

Oct 1: Open House 5:30pm-6:30

Oct 7: Fire Assembly 1:50pm-2:15 Whole School

Oct 12: No School

Oct 18: Jumpstart to Literacy Storywalk

Oct 22: Open Woods in OWLS Nest

Oct 29: Black and Orange Day with Big Pumpkin Production

Nov 3: No School: Parent Conferences

Nov 6: Veteran's Day Lunch and Field of Flags

Nov 10: Picture Retake Day

Nov 11: No School: Veterans Day

Nov 21: Dancing with the Barrington Stars

Nov 25-27: Thanksgiving Break

Recent Newsletters: Meet the Staff, 7/31/26, 8/6/26, 8/13/26, 8/20/26, 8/27/26