Booth Free School
November 2026
How is it November already?! October flew by with a whirlwind of exciting activities and memorable moments. We kicked off the month with Unity Day, which brought everyone together for a whole school meeting and activities that focused on kindness, inclusion, and supporting one another. Students also took part in our annual plank challenge last week, pushing themselves with determination and a lot of school spirit. And, of course, we had our annual fire prevention presentations. Thank you to our local firefighters for teaching us valuable safety tips!
Thank you to all the parents who attended conferences! Your involvement makes a tremendous difference, providing us with valuable insights into each student’s needs, strengths, and goals. When families and teachers work together, it reinforces the support network that students need to thrive academically and personally. We are grateful for your support!
Now, as we move into November, there are even more engaging experiences ahead! We'll be celebrating American Education Week with Parent Visitation Day on November 17th. The schedule will be shared next week. We’ll also be having our annual Spelling Bee and Pie Feast on November 24th, sponsored by the PTO. Additionally, our Student Council will be kicking off their November food drive in the next few days.
Please double check the district calendar because there are a few days where students will have no school during November. This week, we have no school for students tomorrow due to professional development for staff. Then, next Wednesday there is no school for staff or students for Veteran's Day. Finally, we will wrap up the month with our Thanksgiving recess with no school for staff and students Wednesday the 25th through Sunday the 29th.
I hope you get to enjoy this oddly warm fall weather!
Dr. Emily Rhew
The kindergartners love to share their thoughts in many ways; they have a LOT to say! Sometimes we write our ideas on paper, sometimes we share thoughts out loud, and sometimes we use our iPads to type and draw. Recent work has focused on labeling the most important parts. This clarifies our ideas and gives students practice in stretching out every sound they hear. The children are a wealth of knowledge and eager to show what they know..
Second grade is off to a great start! We are settling into our classroom routines and expectations. We are building our reading and writing stamina. In reading, we have started our first unit - all about BUGS! We will be researching a selected topic and working on writing an informational report. In math, we began our first unit thinking about graphing and measurement. We are now working on concepts of place value. We are looking forward to building our class community this year, getting to know one another, and helping each other to be the best versions of themselves. Enjoy the beautiful fall weather!
Mrs. Holton's 4th Grade Hard Work, Big Discoveries, and Hands-On Learning!
The fourth grade is off to a fantastic start this year! The students brought incredible energy into the classroom, kicking off the fall with a great mix of hard work and fun across every subject.
Math time had everyone diving deep into place value as students mastered rounding, compared large numbers, and worked through multi-step word problems. In language arts, the young authors are wrapping up their personal narratives, taking their writing through the full process of planning, drafting, revising, and editing.
Science got hands-on with the start of a unit called "The Human Machine." To figure out how muscles and tendons work together to move the body, students built working models of a human finger right at their desks. Meanwhile, social studies brought grid navigation to life as the class faced off in a lively game of Latitude and Longitude Battleship to sharpen their map-reading skills.
It has been a wonderful start to the school year, and the fourth graders are keeping that great momentum going!
Our students receive Physical Education every third day. Over the first two months of school we have established classroom/gym routines and expectations. We have completed our icebreaker games and spent time challenging ourselves in a variety of cooperative games.
We are currently taking part in our October “Planktober” strength challenge. We started at 30 seconds and added an additional 30-60 seconds to each subsequent class. The end of October has planks reaching over 5 minutes in length. A plank is an isometric full body workout that strengthens all your major muscle groups with specific emphasis on your core/abdominals. Have your child demo a plank at home- they have become experts. Our entire school plans to end October celebrating together at a fun filled ‘Plank Assembly.’
Our younger students have spent time exploring how to move their bodies. Motor skills and movement patterns are the foundation for all future sports they might play. We do this in a manner that is encouraging and fun. There is not an emphasis on keeping score/winning. Students also have learned some new tag games that they have enjoyed.
Our older students have completed their kicking/soccer unit. They got to enjoy some time outside working on dribbling, passing, striking, and punting. Lead up games and small sided games allowed for all students to touch the ball during game play. We also introduced overhead throwing activities while using a football. Students worked on catching a ball while moving, throwing to an open target, and defending a pass attempt. Fun was had while playing ‘3 step football’ and ‘4 down football.’ Next up for all students are some terrific Halloween themed games.
he BFS Student Council is off to a fantastic start this school year! We kicked things off by celebrating International Dot Day, a special day that encourages creativity and reminds us that even a small dot can make a big difference. Student Council organized a school-wide Polka Dot Day, and our students and staff showed off their creativity by wearing their favorite polka dots! We also created a school-wide bulletin board celebrating the creativity and uniqueness of our BFS community.
This week, we were excited to open the BFS School Store! Our first K–2 shoppers had the opportunity to visit the store, and we look forward to welcoming even more students in the coming weeks.
With Unity Day coming up next week, our school community came together for a school-wide meeting to take a stand against bullying. Students pledged to help create a safe, kind, and inclusive environment where everyone feels welcomed and accepted. We are proud of our student leaders for helping spread this important message throughout BFS!
To wrap up the month, the Student Council will be hosting a Halloween Spirit Week! Students and staff will have the chance to show their school spirit by participating in fun, festive dress-up days throughout the week. We can’t wait to see everyone join in on the Halloween fun! We are looking forward to another exciting month filled with school spirit, kindness, creativity, and opportunities to make a positive difference in our school community!
