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Spooky season is finally here! We have so many fun things coming up at TBE this month and can't wait to see you for them. Just happens to be, they're all in the same week (October 19-23). First of all, we will have our Book fair going on all week, then the FAMOUS TBE Fall Festival on Tuesday the 20th from 5:00-7:00, AND our Student Led Conferences by appointment each morning! Be on the lookout for updates from PTO on the Fall Festival- and as for Student Led Conferences, you'll be hearing from the teacher. You see, in the beginning of the year, most of you attended Curriculum Night with your child's teacher and that was really your opportunity to connect personally with the teacher and hear from them about the grade level expectations and curriculum, homework, communication, etc. Now, Student Led Conferences are exactly what they sound like... Student Led. Your child tracks all of their subject area goals and performance in a special Data Binder, and they can't wait to show you. So this will be your opportunity to talk to your CHILD about what they're doing, where they're starting, and where they want to end up by the end of the year with their goals. It is so important that you hear them, truly listen, and validate those goals and that energy. You are helping to cement lifelong habits that will turn them into proud, successful, and driven adults in our community.

Lots of work to do, and lots of joy to share. As I always say, THANK YOU for sharing your children with us. We love them dearly. We know you have other options than public school, but TBE shines above, and we ARE the best place to be... SAFARI STRONG, Where Leaders Belong!

With the warmest gratitude,

Amanda Kubin

Recent research conducted by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, published in Frontiers in Psychology, have shown in electroencephalogram and neuroimaging studies that the physical act of writing activates significantly more brain waves than typing. This research supports our schoolwide focus this year- what Robert Marzano would call Recording and Representing Knowledge.

Students process content in a variety of ways and we infuse so many of them- song, movement, rhyme and rhythm, multimedia resources, debate and discourse... and this year, in addition to all those, we are taking a deliberate and intentional approach to how we support our students in RECORDING AND REPRESENTING their knowledge. What does this mean? It means we are encouraging students to process their thinking through written linguistic and non-linguistic representations. You can help us at home with this by encouraging your child to:

• Write their thoughts on post-it notes and put those on pages as they read. It helps them put their thoughts into words (or symbols- smiley face, question mark, star for something important), but also helps them connect to the text and take ownership of the content
• Make a "concept map": concept mapping is an evidence-based high yield strategy that basically looks like what we used to call a "web." Certain big ideas are circled, and smaller related ideas come off of that. It helps students process what's important, what's related, and find common patterns
• Just have your child draw a picture of what happened in the story they read. Some will want to take it as far as making a comic strip, or adding speech bubbles

The Testing Year at a Glance! Thank you for planning vacation and doctor appointments around these important testing dates.

Oct 8- Gr 5 District Science Test

PM2 Testing Windows (more specific dates to be determined)

Grades K-5 ELA Jan 12-15

Grades K-5 Math Jan 19-22

State Writing Test B.E.S.T.

Grades 4 and 5 April 6

PM3 Testing Dates

Kindergarten April 19 ELA

1st Grade-April 20 ELA

2nd Grade-April 22 ELA

3rd Grade-May 4 ELA

4th Grade-May 5 ELA

5th Grade-May 6 ELA

Kindergarten April 27 Math

1st Grade-April 28 Math

2nd Grade-April 29 Math

3rd Grade-May 11 Math

4th Grade-May 12 Math

5th Grade-May 13 Math

5th Grade May 18 Science

ID BADGE/LANYARD-

It is CCPS policy that all staff and students wear their CCPS issued ID badge and lanyard every day. If your child’s ID badge and lanyard is lost, please stop by the front office to purchase a replacement for $5.00. At the end of each month a detention will be assigned for every 3 days the student is without their ID/lanyard. Thank you for helping keep everyone safe!

Attendance Procedures

We strive for all students to be at school all day, every day. In the event your child is sick and must be absent, please email dismissal@collierschools.com to report the absence. Reporting all absences avoids “unexcused” absences on your child’s attendance record. If your child visits the doctor, please submit a doctor note within 24 hours of returning to school to the office and the absence will be marked “excused”. Excessive absences and/tardies could result in Out of Zone designations being rescinded and/or having to attend truancy court.

Update Parent Portal Information

Please make sure all information in the parent portal is updated with any changes that may occur throughout the school year.

TBE Dress Code

Please be reminded that students must follow the Dress Code Monday-Thursday. On Fridays, students are permitted to wear TBE Spirit Shirts. On occasion, students are permitted to earn a dress down pass from their teacher or other staff member. Dress down passes can be redeemed on Mondays and Fridays.

LAPTOPS - Please Use Responsibly!

Just a reminder - laptops are still CCPS property and need to be cared for responsibly.

Pursuant to Rule 27 of the District’s Code of Student Conduct, students are responsible for the cost of repair or replacement of District property in their possession such as a laptop or other electronic device. The rule provides the following:

RULE 27. SCHOOL PROPERTY – MATERIALS/BOOKS/INTERNET

• Students are expected to take good care of school property. Students must assume full responsibility for the care of school property available to them. This includes, but is not limited to, textbooks, uniforms, equipment, electronic devices, or library books. These items are issued by school personnel and must be returned to the same person upon completion of the school year or withdrawal from school. Responsibility for the property rests with the student to whom the property is issued. (Refer to the rule in its entirety on pg. 33 in the Student Code of Conduct.)

The cost of repairing or replacing laptops for irresponsible damage is as follows:

• Keyboard $95.00
• Charging Cords $48.00
• Non-Touch Screen $117.00
• Touch Screen $ 231.00
• Replacement Laptop $586.00

Kindergarten Banner

-We have continued to learn how to describe characters, setting and events in stories.

-We have been working hard to add details to our illustrations and are looking forward to adding words to our illustrations!

-In math, we are learning to identify, represent and compare numbers to 10.

-In Science, we learned all about alligators and LOVED seeing them live during our Zoo Con.

-In Social Studies, we continued to practice following rules and expectations as well as learned about some of our nation’s celebrations.

🕷️ FIRST GRADE NEWS 🍂

October is flying by! Our first graders have been working hard, learning new skills, and settling into their routines. Here is a look at what we have coming up:

📚 What We are Learning

• Math: We are continuing to explore the relationship between addition and subtraction and practicing different strategies to solve problems.
• We are also working on building math fact fluency and becoming more confident with our addition facts.
• Reading: Please continue reading with or to your child every day. The more children are exposed to books, language, and print, the more opportunities they have to grow as readers and writers.
• Remember, just like any new skill, practice makes progress! Even a few minutes of reading each day can make a big difference.

🗂️ A Quick Reminder

• Please check and clean out your child’s binder each day.
• This helps your child stay organized, keeps you informed about what is coming home, and gives your child the opportunity to share what they are learning at school.
• Please take a moment to look through their work together and celebrate their progress!

🕷️ Special Days Coming Up!

• Spider Day: Coming soon! 🕷️ Date TBA
• Character Day: Coming soon! 📚✨ Date TBA
• More information and dates will be shared as soon as they are finalized, so please keep an eye out for updates!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support at home. We are so proud of all the hard work our first graders are putting in each day!

Your First Grade Team 😊

We are having such a wonderful time in second grade! We had a blast spending time with our fourth-grade buddies and look forward to meeting with them again soon. It is hard to believe we are approaching the end of the first quarter!

In Language Arts, we are learning how exploration using our 5 senses helps us better understand the world around us. Students are focusing on identifying the central idea, using text features, and asking and answering questions to deepen their understanding of what they read. Our Accelerated Reader program has been going great; students are so proud of the quizzes they are completing in their library books! Please continue to encourage reading together at home.

In Math, we are learning different strategies for addition and subtraction, including decomposing numbers, adjusting addends, and using number lines to solve problems efficiently.

In Science, we have been diving deep into our unit on Materials & Changes! Students are exploring these concepts through fun, hands-on experiments, and investigations. We will begin Unit 3 on Earth & Weather within the next week.

Thank you, families, for all the love and support you continue to show our class. We appreciate everything you do to help make this school year so special!

♥️The Second-Grade Team

Third graders completed their first round of FAST testing! We are so proud of their hard work and effort!

Please continue to have your child read for 20 minutes each night and practice multiplication fluency with flashcards or number patterns. Thank you for your continued support!

September Highlights

• Students have successfully settled into our classroom routines and are growing in confidence as they engage more deeply in reading, writing, math, and science. It has been wonderful to see them develop independence, perseverance, and strong learning habits.
• Throughout the month, students have strengthened their critical thinking and collaboration skills while making great progress toward their academic goals. We are proud of the effort and growth they are showing each day.

Coming Up in October

• Students will continue exploring new concepts through engaging lessons, hands-on activities, and projects that encourage deeper learning and problem-solving across subject areas.
• October marks the end of Quarter 1 and our Student-Led Conferences. Students will reflect on their learning, celebrate their accomplishments, share their growth with their families, and set goals for continued success as we move into the second quarter.

5th grade is off to an amazing start this year! Students performed very well on both their ELA and Math PM1 assessments, and we are excited to see the continued growth and success that lies ahead.

In Reading, Students are learning to analyze how literary elements such as plot, theme, character perspectives, figurative language, text structure, central ideas, and author’s craft work together to create meaning. By making these connections, they deepen their understanding and develop stronger critical thinking skills.

In Math, students are beginning our multiplication units by learning strategies for multiplying multi-digit numbers, including the standard algorithm, before moving on to multiplication with decimals. Practicing basic multiplication facts at home will help build fluency and make these more complex problems easier.

In Science, we are currently learning about mixtures and solutions, including how to classify materials by their properties, separate mixtures, and determine which substances dissolve. Soon, we will build on this knowledge by exploring temperature changes and the differences between physical and chemical changes.

In Social Studies we are exploring the foundations of the United States government by learning why the Constitution was needed and how it was developed. Students are examining the role of compromise, as well as the differing views of Federalists and Anti-Federalists, in shaping the nation we know today.

Art:

*Students have completed their Dot Day art!

*Kindergarten and first grade classes are starting shape art. Look for their Alligators and Scarecrows soon!

Media:

* SSYRA 3-5 Reading Challenge has begun. Each book read and test passed = Brag Tag, 3 books = Voting, 5 books = prize box, 10 books = Carnival

* Scholastic Book Fair October 19-23rd

Music:

• Soli students (grades 3-5) received notes this week reminding them of our first practice, this Friday September 18
• Third grade will go on their Artis Naples field trip next Tuesday, September 22

PE:

• Throughout the year we focus on using good sportsmanship in class to develop habits outside of class. This includes following directions, playing fair and honest, problem solving appropriately, being respectful to others and always trying our best. This is a graded behavior every quarter in PE class.
• For our quarter one dance unit, K-2 students learned the Macarena Dance while grades 3-5 learned the African Hopscotch.

• Next quarter, students will begin practicing throwing, catching, and dribbling techniques in a variety of activities.
• Run Club continues to meet every Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Students who complete a half-marathon (13.1 miles) by December will qualify for the 95210 Final Mile Event on February 2nd.

Tech:

• Students in grades 1-5 practice keyboard typing at different their levels for the first 10minutes of class as a “warm-up”. Please continue having students in grades 2-5 practice their home row finger placement and finger paths two times each night on their color-coded keyboard they brought home week 2, to build their muscle memory.
• All students learn Digital Citizenship skills like online privacy, digital footprint, standing up against cyberbullying, balancing screen time, and thinking about online information.

Steps for becoming a volunteer—MUST BE DONE EVERY SCHOOL YEAR

1. Go to https://www.collierschools.com/community/volunteer-at-ccps

1. APPLY to volunteer.

1. Review the Orientation Presentation PowerPoint on Volunteer website at https://www.collierschools.com/community/volunteer-at-ccps

1. Call 239-377-8500 to make an appointment with the front office to come in and have your driver’s license run in Raptor AND complete a 26-27 Volunteer Information Sheet.

1. Ms. Bigley, School Counselor will let you know when you are approved.

October 6th Health Screenings

• Hearing – Grades KG &1
• Growth & Development/H&W – Grades 1 & 3

If your child is in grades KG,1st or 3rd they will be screened by Florida Department of Health (DOH) unless you complete the Opt Out Form here https://www.collierschools.com/students-families/health-services . On the left-hand side there will be different Language options for Opting Out of the Health Screening. If you wish to Opt out your child, please complete this form and return to Mrs. Bigley Lombardi before October 6th.

September has been busy with our Charleston Wrap fundraiser, which runs until October 5th. There is still time to shop! This year, 100% of the funds raised will go directly toward student celebrations and experiences.

http://www.registercw.com School Code: 30191

We are also looking forward to seeing everyone at our 3rd Annual Fall Festival on October 20th from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Join us for a Pumpkin Patch, games, food, auction items, a chance to dunk your teachers, and much more!

Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities:

- October PTO Meeting: October 6th @8:45am
- Volunteers Needed: We have several upcoming volunteer opportunities, including the Book Fair, Fall Fest, and pumpkin sales. To stay informed, text JOIN to (239) 504-8333.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please email us at tommiebarfieldpto@gmail.com. You can also follow us on social media to stay updated:

Website: www.tommiebarfieldpto.com
Facebook: Tommie Barfield PTO 2026/2027
Instagram: tommie_barfield_pto

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Tommie Barfield PTO Board

www.tommiebarfieldpto.com