Butler Bear News

• We made it through the first week! It was EPIC!
• Thank you all for your patience and understanding as we navigated transportation for our littles one to and from school!
• Great job to all students on today's required fire drill.
• Make sure to take a look in the art display box located at the flag pole in front of the school. Take home what inspires you and leave a new creation for others!
• Thank you, Young Miss Walton County: Emery Kayte for donating snacks to our school to help support our students! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
• We want to thank the following businesses who have supported us the first week of school: Chick-Fil-A, Grand Boulevard, Cantina Lerado, 3 Sons BBQ, Beach Happy Cafe, Winn Dixie, and Fulf Coast Bank and Trust.

*If you have a "Good Thing" you would like to share, please email Mrs. Michal and it will be added to our next newsletter.

Parents:

I want to thank everyone for an amazing first week of school! Your children (our students) have been awesome! Students have stopped and introduced themselves to me, held doors open for teachers, and picked up trash as they walk. I am proud of their manners and awareness. It is going to be a great year!

To all 4th and 5th grade parents, we held a mandatory 9-week meeting with our students this week. This is something created and required by our Superintendent. We review all school rules to include zero tolerance offenses, dress code, cell phone rules, safe harbor, and other terms included in our Code of Conduct. We want all students to know the expectations.

Testing began this week for all 1st-5th grade students and will continue next week. Each year, the State of Florida tests students in August, December, and May on grade level standards. Current testing is considered a pre-test. For example, you have a 2nd grader, they were tested this week to see what they already know about 2nd grade skills. This helps us better prepare instruction, because if your child already knows the 2nd grade material, then we can accelerate them even further. Kindergarten testing will occur the third week of school.

We will soon shift our focus to our next big event which is making sure everyone is in a House! I am so excited to find out what my House will be! Once again, thank you for an EPIC week, and have a great weekend!

Your proud principal,

Dr. Hawthorne

Attention Bus Riders: Please be aware that some of the bus routes have changed this year. In some cases, students who have ridden the same bus for years are now on a different bus. All bus riders must be issued a new bus tag each year. This allows us to verify the address and ensure the student is on the correct bus. If your child has not received a new bus tag for this year, please reach out to your child's teacher or the front office. If your child has already received a new bus tag for the school year, either at Sneak Peek or during the first week of school, no other action needs to be taken.

This month, we're celebrating resiliency! Each month, Resiliency Florida features a Resiliency Characteristic of the Month. ​

Teachers will find ways to incorporate the word "resiliency" into their lessons, and we appreciate it if parents can use this word too!

• We will begin inviting parents to join your student(s) during their lunch on August 25th. You can join your students on Mondays and Fridays throughout the school year.
• Be advised, we do not allow lunch visitors on days that we are hosting school events, such as House Day, early release, etc.
• Make sure to bring your I.D. to check in at the front office before enjoying lunch with your student(s).

Everyone has been wonderful in our car line this week. Thank you for your patience! We also want to give a shout out to staff for battling both the hot sun and also the downpours of rain! Here are a few reminders to keep our car line moving and safe:

• For morning drop off, please pull all the way down to the next available number. We will teach students how to walk to their correct entry point.

• For morning drop off, if you are parking in the parking lot, you are responsible for walking your child through the parking lot to the manned cross walk. Students cannot be dropped off in the parking lot to circumvent the line. Please know the crossing guard's job is to keep the line moving, then individuals can cross once the line has stopped. This will help cut down on our 30A traffic.

• For afternoon pick up, thank you for rolling down your window when you approach Mrs. Gomillion to hear which number to drive to.

• For afternoon pick up, if your child does not come out in a timely manner, feel free to ask the staff member at your number to recall your child's name.

• For both morning and afternoon, thank you for staying in your car and allowing us to assist your student. This will help keep the line moving.

In order to ensure a seamless experience, it is highly recommended you visit or create a FOCUS Parent Portal account to ensure your contact information is up-to-date. You may do this by visiting https://www.walton.k12.fl.us/o/wcsd/page/parent-portal.

ROOMS is the new district-wide teacher/parent communication platform. This program will take the place of Remind. To use ROOMS, you can download the mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store using the QR codes below.

You can also use ROOMS on a desktop device by visiting www.thrillshare.com to login.

You will receive a text message to authenticate your account and establish the connection between you and your student’s teachers at the start of school.

The Ron Clark Academy House System is a dynamic, exciting, and proven way to create a positive climate and culture for students and staff. Students are celebrated for their efforts through a process that builds character, empowers academic excellence, fosters school spirit, enhances relationships, and promotes a culture of belonging for all.

Click on the Houses below to learn more.

"If you have a child's heart ... you have a child's mind" - Flip Flippen / Founder & Chairman

We are proud to be a National Showcase School for CKH!

Check out the links below to see what is happening for the month of August.

Parents residing South of Hwy 98 and West of Co Hwy 393 to 30A have the option to walk with their child to and from school each day. A walker pass MUST be obtained in the office. Please provide a proof of residency when applying for the pass. Walker passes are not available for parents who wish to park in the parking lot and walk up to retrieve their child. Parents who wish to have their child walk or bike to school unaccompanied must get administrative approval and have a written note on file at school.

Do you have concerns about your child's speech, communications, learning, behavior, vision or hearing? Freeport Learning Center provides FREE screenings year-round.

Need to schedule an appointment? Check out the PDF below to see the next steps.

The Know Your Schools Portal is a valuable resource. The site provides clear insights into the performance of Florida's districts and schools in terms of student achievement and success.

The Butler Parent Teacher Organization is a volunteer group that strives to enhance academic technology, and school spirit experiences for students and staff at Butler through various fundraisers and events all year.

Scan the QR code to join one of the many sub-committees!

FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials. All studens will learn about FortifyFL during the first week of school.