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Help Us Start the Day Bulldog Strong! 🐾

Our school day is 9:25 a.m.–4:20 p.m., and we want every Bulldog in their classroom and ready to learn by 9:25 a.m.!

🚗 Morning Car Riders: The car rider line closes at 9:20 a.m. If you arrive after 9:20 a.m. or there is no adult outside, please park and walk your child into the main office.

🚌 Emergency Bus Changes: If an emergency requires your child to ride a different bus home, please complete the Guest Rider Form attached below. Guest rider requests are for emergency or necessary transportation needs and should not be used for social plans, such as visiting a friend or attending a sleepover.

Warmest regards,
Mrs. Beckwith, Principal

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future requires each Maryland school district to provide a plan to ensure all students have access to physical and behavioral health services. Pillar 4 of the Blueprint: More Resources for Students to Be Successful, outlines how districts should plan for and provide these resources. One requirement is the implementation of a standardized screening tool to identify students with behavioral health services needs using an evidence-based measurement approach.

During the next several weeks, students in grades 3-12 will be completing the Panorama Screener which should take approximately 20 minutes. This screener is not a diagnostic tool, meaning it is not designed to diagnose mental health disorders. Rather it is utilized to address individual, classroom-wide and school-wide social-emotional and behavioral skill development to assist students in being successful learners.

The screener will ask students to reflect on topics including Emotion Regulation, Feelings, Growth Mindset, Responsible Decision Making, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Supportive Relationships, and Student-to-Student Interactions.

These links allow parents and guardians to view the items on the screener.

Grades 3-5 Screener

We thank you and your family for being our valued partners in education. If you have any questions about the Panorama Screener, please contact the school’s administration team or your child’s counselor.

10/8- PTO Meeting

10/12- 2hr. Early Dismissal: Parent Conferences

10/15- PTO Harvest Fest

10/16- Schools closed for students: Professional learning for staff

10/29- End of the 1st marking period

10/30- 2 hr. early dismissal- teacher work time

🩺 Health Room Happenings For Parents

🤒 When to Keep Your Child Home

To help keep our school community healthy, please remember that students should remain home for 24 hours from their last symptom if they have:

• A fever of 100.0°F or higher
• An episode of vomiting
• Three or more episodes of loose stool/diarrhea

Students should be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

🍬 Cough Drops

If your child benefits from a cough drop for a sore throat or pesky cough, please send:

• A signed note giving permission for use at school
• The brand name of the cough drops listed in the note
• An unopened package to be stored in the Health Room

Students will come to the Health Room when they need a cough drop so usage can be monitored. Please note that the Health Room does not provide cough drops.

🤕 Injuries and Restrictions

If your child is injured and requires accommodations at school, please provide a doctor's note that includes:

• Any assistive devices needed (crutches, brace, sling, finger splint, orthopedic shoe, etc.)
• PE, recess, and activity restrictions or modifications
• Whether elevator access is needed
• The length of time accommodations are required

Complete documentation helps us safely support your child throughout the school day.

⏰ Early Pick-Up Reminders

If your child does not meet the criteria to be sent home for illness but you choose to pick them up, the absence or early dismissal will be considered unexcused.

When I contact a parent, I will always clarify whether:

• Your child must be picked up due to illness, or
• I am calling as a courtesy because your child has requested that an adult be contacted

💉 Community Flu Clinics

There will be no school-based flu clinics this year. Instead, Calvert County is offering several Community Flu Clinics that are open to all family members.

Please see the attached flyer for dates, locations, and additional details.

👕 Clothing Donations Needed

The Health Room is grateful for donations of gently used clothing in sizes 3T through adult. These donations help us care for students who need a change of clothes during the school day.

We also encourage families to keep a spare set of clothes in their child's backpack or classroom.

Nurse's Reminder: As temperatures fluctuate, encourage students to bring a water bottle and wear layers. Hydrated, comfortable students are more successful learners! 🌞💧

Thank you for helping us keep our students healthy, safe, and ready to learn! Please reach out anytime @ 443-550-9506 or email me @ farsterj@calvertnet.k12.md.us. Fax # 410-286-4010

Warmly,

Nurse Jessica

🍂 HELLO, OCTOBER! 🐾🧡

Can you believe it’s already October?! We have so much happening at Barstow, and we’re excited to share all the fun with our Bulldog families!

🍦 Popsicle Contest Winners!

We wrapped up our class PTO membership Popsicle Contest this past week! Congratulations to Mrs. Coffman’s 2nd grade class for taking the top spot! 🥳 Mrs. Jones’ and Mrs. Mason’s classes weren’t far behind! Thank you to everyone who joined the PTO and helped make this contest a success!

🎃 Harvest Festival – October 15th!

Don’t miss out on our fan-favorite event! Join us for an evening packed with fun, food trucks, trunk-or-treat, vendors, raffles, and so much more! It’s the perfect excuse for a fun family night out. We can’t wait to see our Bulldogs there!

🍽️ October Spirit Night

Let someone else handle dinner! Check out our October Spirit Night at Sip & Stack and enjoy a delicious meal while supporting Barstow Elementary PTO. Every bit of support makes a difference!

🐶 So Much More to Come!

We have so many exciting things coming your students’ way this school year! Keep an eye out for ways to stay connected, updates on improvements around our school and playground, upcoming events, and all the stories and smiles your students bring home.

Thank you for showing up, getting involved, and helping us make this school year special!

Throughout October, we will be helping spread awareness and understanding about learning disabilities. Please join us in celebrating differences, encouraging inclusion, and supporting our students!