Bethel the Beautiful

We are beyond excited to have our students back!! School starts this Monday, August 17th & it is a 12:30 dismissal. We will have someone near the front door at the table if you weren't able to come to Meet the Teacher and you need to know who your child's teacher is. Tell your children we can't wait to have them back and thanks for making sure they know how to get home.

We will be on a 12:30 dismissal on the first day of school on Monday, 8/17. It's very important that your child and their teacher knows how they are getting home that day. Many of you let the teacher know at Meet the Teacher, but if not, please do so via Remind or with a note. If your child is a bus rider and you haven't completed the online form, please see the info. a couple sections below. Thanks!

Thank you for the tremendous turn out for our annual Meet the Teacher event!! It was so wonderful having everyone back together again! Thanks to the hairdresser and barber volunteers-- you all did a great job!! It wasa great start to our school year!!

We are looking for several parents and guardians that might be interested in serving on our School Advisory Council. This council/group would meet at BES monthly and there is one district meeting for the purpose of discussing positive things happening at our school and also what we want to work on to make Bethel even better. Please fill out the short survey attached if you are interested. Thanks for considering!

If you haven't already signed your child up for a bus to ride and you would like them to ride the bus, please take time to do that now. Click on the link and fill out the Google form. Thanks!

A big Thank You to our amazing bus drivers! Several buses are housed at BES and several at BMS...but every bus has both BES and BMS students riding them.

Mr. Larry 42

Mr. Jerry AM 63

Mr. Brandon PM 63

Ms. Fowler AM 67

Ms. Teresa PM 67

Mr. Leatherwood 42

Mr. Piero 33

Mr. Billy 17

Students attending after school will need an application completed prior to staying. It needs to be an updated application for the new school year. You can get an application in the office. Cost of afterschool is $60/week for the first child and $40 for every other child, and includes a nice snack. Shelly Southerland is our new afterschool director and has a lot of great things planned. It's going to be a great year in our after school

We are excited about this school year and that we have free breakfast and lunch for our students! We also want to welcome our new Cafeteria Manager, Heather Pless! She has worked in our cafeteria for many years and will do a great job! Also a big welcome to Sherri Burnette, Michelle Parker, and Seana Surrett that are new to our cafeteria staff! We are excited to have you!

Please read the car line information carefully and let us know if you have any questions!

We have two less TAs at Bethel this year, so we will not be able to have a TA down the hill where cars merge together into one lane. Here's some reminders about this process:

1. Zipper Method-- One car in the left lane goes, and then the right, left, right, etc.

2. Be considerate-- please know we are working as fast as we can, but we also want your child to be safe.

3. When we have repeated issues in car line, then we ask you to put your child on the bus, so please just be kind.

Car Line Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who runs the car line?

Our amazing assistants are the car line gurus! They do a great job helping students find their cars, calling names, and all the things that make our car line run smooth.

2. What time should I arrive at car line?

Our car students will be dismissed on a regular day at 2:50. There is no need to arrive at school any earlier than 2:00 pm.

3. What do I do if I don't want to wait in car line?

You have two options: 1. You can park at the visitor parking- the lowest parking down the hill and walk up to get your child. Depending on what time you come, you will put your child's name on on a list and he/she will be called with a radio. If you get there later, the teacher assistant will call them on the radio.

2. If you arrive right at 3:15, there is very little wait in our line.

"I don't want to sit in car line" is not going to be an option this year when you check out students.

4. Why do we do our car line this way?

Over the years, we have done our car line in a variety of ways. This is the safest way we have found to ensure our students get into your vehicle without harm. Students wait inside with their grade level, are called on the radio when it is there turn. Is asked to come to the door while cars are moving and then when all cars are stopped, will asked to walk to their car.

5.What if someone else is picking up my child today?

Always be in close communication with the teacher. Also, this person will need to be listed in your child's information as someone for pick up. The main thing is letting your child's teacher know, who should let the car line staff know.

6. Why does the car line take so long?

We have approximately 250-300 cars that come through our car line every day. That's the most in the county. We do our best to get them out there quickly and efficiently and especially, safely. We appreciate your patience :)!

7. Why are the yellow car tags so important?

We can quickly call students' names and get them to their cars faster. Thank you for having them up and keeping them up throughout the car line so BES staff can see which car your child should get into.

8. How do I navigate the signs and pavement markings?

Please see the attachment below. Our pavement was painted last year and we also got new signage. Please be patient, don't speed in car line, and take turns when the two right lanes merge into one. Vehicles should take turns to make it run more efficiently. If you are walking up to get your child, please use the left lane to get into the parking lot.

As we walk past your car and give you a thumbs up, you return a thumbs up if your child is in your car and ready to go. A thumbs down indicates that you do not have them and we need to get them for you.

Car tags are a must! Please leave your car tag up at your rearview mirror until you exit car line. This helps us ensure all of our students are in the correct car. Sometimes students don't recognize their car type/model/color and this helps us identify you and where your child needs to go.

- Put child's name and the adult picking them ups name on the document on the clipboard located at the grade level rock columns near the front door

- Patiently wait for your child's name to be called

- They will be dismissed after first row of car line is settled

Thanks for your patience!

akd

5 Winners from Spring Fling Raffle

1. Cailin Holloway

2. Paige Bridges (Landry's mom)

3. Hilda Keener

4. Tiffany Lawrence

5. Melissa Clark

7 Winners from Meet the Teacher Raffle

6. Beck Treadway

7. Megan Nassis

8. Morgan Trull

9. Hayden Whitley

10. Erin Reece

11. Melissa Shipman

12. Noralynn Gudger

See the calendar for all of the important kindergarten dates...

We are excited to announce that every student at Bethel Elementary will be receiving the book, The Wild Robot! We will be reading the book as a school during the first semester. Students will be discussing the book with their classmates, learning vocabulary and science concepts from the book, and will be able to attend a STEM night this October based on the book. Students may take their book home and you may want to read with your child-- they would love that!! We are all very excited about going on an adventure with Roz the robot on her island...hope you will come on the adventure as well!!

🌟 Word of the Week: ACTIVATE

Kid-Friendly Definition:
Activate means to make something start working or to get something started.

Think about it:
👉 Activate = START IT UP!

📖 Connection to The Wild Robot

In the first four chapters, Roz begins to activate her learning when she starts exploring the island and figuring out how to survive in her new surroundings. She has to observe, think, and try new things to understand her environment.

Sentence:

Roz activates her problem-solving skills when she explores the island and tries to figure out how to survive.

🏠 ACTIVATE It at Home!

🔋 1. Activate Your Brain!

Choose something you don't know how to do yet. Activate your brain and try to learn it!

Examples:

• Learn a new card game
• Build something with LEGOs
• Learn a new word
• Try a new recipe
• Figure out a puzzle

Family Challenge: Ask your child, “What did you activate in your brain today?”

👀 2. Activate Your Senses

Go outside together for 5 minutes. Just like Roz has to activate her senses to learn about the island, use your senses to observe your surroundings.

Find:

• 👀 Something you see
• 👂 Something you hear
• 👃 Something you smell
• ✋ Something you can feel

Then share one thing you discovered!

⚡ 3. Activate a Helpful Habit

Choose one helpful action to activate this week.

Examples:

• Activate kindness → Do something kind for someone.
• Activate responsibility → Complete a job without being reminded.
• Activate curiosity → Ask a question about something you notice.
• Activate perseverance → Keep trying when something is difficult.

🎯 4. Family Word Challenge

Use activate in a sentence at least 3 times this week.

For example:

“I activated my creativity when I built my LEGO tower!”

“Dad activated the flashlight.”

“I activated my problem-solving skills when I figured out the puzzle.”

We are excited to begin our 4th annual chocolate fundraiser!! There will be a permission slip sent home soon so you child is able to participate. More information to come... Thanks for considering helping us with this amazing fundraiser opportunity!

Our BES Clothes Bin is located in the bottom parking lot. All you have to do is place clothes, shoes, handbags, etc. in a kitchen sized trash bag and put them in the bin. The company takes care of the rest! We earn approximately $200 a month because of our wonderful community that supports our Clothes Bin project. The money goes back to helping our students and staff be successful. Thanks for your help!!

Did you know school attendance all over North Carolina has been declining since Covid? Why Daily Attendance Matters:

1. Missed Lessons = Falling Behind: Even one day can mean missing critical instructions and activities, making it harder for your child to catch up.

2. Impact on Future Success: Consistent attendance is a strong predictor of academic achievement and future opportunities.

3. Building Resilience: Regular attendance teaches your child the value of perseverance and responsibility—essential skills for success in life.

4. Stronger Friendships: Daily presence helps your child develop and sustain friendships, which are crucial for emotional and social development.

5. Healthy Routine: Attending school every day establishes a stable routine, promoting better mental and physical health.

Monday, August 17- Student First Day- 12:30 Dismissal

Monday, August 17- Kindergarten Orientation- 9 am in the auditorium

Tuesday, August 18 & Wednesday, August 19- Kindergarten Family Visits

Thursday, August 20th and Friday, August 21st - Staggered Start for Kindergarteners

Tuesday, August 25th - Chocolate Fundraiser Begins

Monday, September 7 - No school - Labor Day

Thursday, September 17- Open House 5:30-7:00 pm

Monday, September 28- Fall