| From the Head of School | | John Huber
The new school year is finally here! The faculty and I are incredibly excited to start the 2011-2012 school year, and we are overjoyed to welcome our many students back to school. We begin September with even more students than the year before, and with new students in every grade but 8th. Of course, while this week is the first true week of school, our teachers and administrators have been here for many days and weeks this summer in order to best prepare for the year. My August letter provided you with an overview of most of our summer tasks. But just last week during our Faculty In-Service, we accomplished the following: - We welcomed our newest member of the faculty, Jamie Morningstar. She teaches prekindergarten in the mornings, as well as second grade fluid math and reading groups in the afternoons.
- We learned how to use our Low Ropes Course, under the direction of our new Athletic Director,
David Martin.
- We received CPR, AED, and first aid training, as well as reviewed our health action plans with our new delegating nurse, Patti Saylor.
- We put the finishing touches on all of our new technology, including our SMART Boards and gymnasium projector, thanks to the hard work of Technology Director Jim Snider.
- We prepared our new Outdoor Classroom for our students, under the careful guidance of Facilities Director Bernie Weintraub.
And there’s even more to come! First, our work around the Outdoor Classroom is not yet finished. There will be seating and storage added to the space, and Barnesville alumnus Alex Collins ’09 will create a pathway as his Eagle Scout project. In addition, the entire Middle School will visit Calleva on Sept. 23 to observe as wood is selected and milled; this lumber will be used to build raised garden beds. Coming in October, Curriculum Coordinator Tara Barnhart will lead a Writing Task Force to thoroughly review how we teach writing at Barnesville in order to strengthen our already solid curriculum. Finally, we have arranged a special parent tour of Poolesville High School Magnet Programs with Magnet Coordinator Billie Bradshaw for the morning of Thursday, Oct. 6. This should prove to be an incredibly exciting and productive year. I look forward to seeing you all at the Back to School Ice Cream Social on Sept. 11! |  |
| RenWeb: Communication Central | | Jim Snider, Director of Technology
Our school management system, RenWeb, is the central repository of all information relative to the operation of the school including student grades, homework assignments, lunch ordering, school calendar, etc. As such, it is one of the best places for parents to obtain useful information at convenient times. If you don’t already have a RenWeb account, you can sign up for one by going to the RenWeb website and selecting Create New ParentsWeb Account. Enter the district code TBS-MD and the email address you provided when you registered your child for school, then press Create Account. You will receive an email with a link giving you access to a page where you can create your user name and password. You need to do this only once, regardless of the number of children attending Barnesville School. After your account is established you will have access to information for all your children in one place.
I will be available during both back-to-school nights to answer questions and assist anyone who is having trouble accessing RenWeb. Feel free to contact me at any time. | |
| Admissions Corner | | Susanne Johnson, Director of Admissions
It was a very busy Admissions year and it is with great pleasure that we welcome 31 new students to Barnesville! The new students represent: * 21 New Families…
* 5 Siblings …who were always part of our community but now it’s official!
* New students in every grade but 8th!
A special thank you to our wonderful mentor families who have already made our new families feel so very welcome. Here's to a great 2011-2012 academic year! | |
| From Facilities and Transportation | | Bernie Weintraub, Director of Facilities & Transportation Asbestos Update In October 1986, Congress enacted the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). This law requires all schools to develop regulations to respond to any asbestos that might be in their facilities. In the process, schools were to develop management plans to address any potential hazards in their buildings, implement plans to address any potential hazards in their buildings, implement responses in a timely manner, and inform constituencies on a regular basis. At Barnesville’s initial inspection, it was discovered that some of the floor tiles in the Museum Building contained a small amount of asbestos, so we established an asbestos management plan. Since then, we have removed or encapsulated most of the material in question, and the remaining is regularly monitored. During our last AHERA inspection, The Barnesville School was found to be in full compliance. This note is our annual reminder to parents and staff of the status of our asbestos plan. As Facility Manager, I maintain our records and work with AHERA representatives during routine periodic surveillance. If you have any questions about our plan, please feel free to contact me, and I will be happy to answer any questions. Parking During parent attended school events, parking can be a problem. Our over flow parking is in the front field at the Barnesville and Peach Tree Roads intersection. There are several “No Parking” signs in landscaped areas where no parking as allowed. Safety During Sports Practices & Games While we encourage parents and siblings to cheer on our athletes during games and practices, we need to ensure the safety of all attendees. Please closely supervise your children during these events. I witnessed several children running in the parking lot during Wednesday's soccer practice. Thank you for your cooperation. | |
| Auxiliary Programs Update | | Lynda Forman, Auxiliary Program Director Summer Camp Wrap-UpSummer Camp 2011 was a blast! Over our 7 weeks we had 120 campers from 4 countries. They explored things Under the Sea and On the Farm, spent time in the Land of Make-believe, and on the beach, became more environmentally friendly and got dirty experimenting with science. We had a fabulous staff and the kids had a great time! Barnesville Summer Camp 2012 begins on June 18. Look for enrollment information and camp descriptions in January!After School ActivitiesRegistration for this session of after school activities is now open! We have many exciting classes for your child to choose. We have returning favorites – Meet the Master and Drama Kids (from the BlackRock Center for the Arts), Painting with Mrs. Waldhorn, Competition Math (formerly MathCounts), Bits and Bites with Mrs. Gekas, Soccer Shots, Sarge Athletics and LAND. We also have new classes – Tweens and Teens Yoga, Kids Yoga, Holiday Treats for Min Chefs, Puppetry, and Hoola-Hooping.Class descriptions and registration are on our website. Registration ends on Friday, Sept. 9 so please register soon! If you have any questions about these classes or suggestions for future classes, please let me know! | |
| From the Library | |
Cindy Barr, School Librarian
A warm welcome back to school to all the Barnesville Families: Library volunteers meet for training on September 13, 2011 immediately after drop off in the Media Center for a review and what's new session.The library volunteer coordinators, Caroline Semancik and Paola Self, and I look forward to meeting with you to begin a new school year of service to the library. Please do not hesitate to contact us with interest or concerns: Cindy Barr (301-972-0341), Caroline Semancik (301-216-1289), or Paola Self (301-591-1630). Thanks so much for your continued support. | |
|   |
| | ICE CREAM SOCIAL POSTPONED | | Due to the rainy weather and muddy field conditions, the BPC Ice Cream Social, scheduled for Sunday, is being rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 17 from 2 - 4 pm. There is still time to RSVP! If you already replied and cannot make it on the 17th, please email Kristen Carter with your regrets. | |
| Important Dates | | September 9 First Spirit Day 12 After School Activities Session I Begins 12 First Full Day of K 15 LS Back to School Night, 7 pm 17 BPC Ice Cream Social, 2 - 4 pm 17 Poolesville Day Parade 18 Lymphoma Research Ride 22 MS Back to School Night, 7 pm
27 MS Looking Ahead to High School Meeting, 7pm
29 Rosh Hashanah, School & Offices Closed | |
| Spirit Wear Day | | Our first Spirit Wear Day is Friday, Sept. 9. Wear your Barnesville green with pride this Friday and every Friday throughout the year! | |
| Poolesville Parade & Day | | Barnesville students and parents are needed to represent the School in the Poolesville Day parade, Sept. 17, 10 am in Poolesville. We are hoping to fill a bus with enthusiastic riders decked out in Barnesville Spirit Wear. Please contact Kristen Carter to sign-up and for information about where to meet the day of. The Barnesville School will also have a booth for the day, so stop by and say Hi. | |
| From the BPC | | Great News! Each Wednesday this fall, free apples will be available for students on campus! The BPC and the School are taking turns providing the apples. Every other week, we need volunteers to pick up two bushels of apples at a local orchard, bring them to school, and set them out. If you would like to help out or want more details please contact Lynn Brown (301.275.4155). | |
| ¡¡¡Gracias!!! Thank You!!! | | Daniela Zeppos, Spanish Teacher
Thanks to all the families who contributed the wonderful Spanish books. Your generosity is helping us develop a larger Spanish library for our students! Gracias!
| |
| Notes From Mrs Nave... | | Lands End
The Lands End school code number for The Barnesville School is 900039249. Happy Shopping!
Forms
Please remember to turn in all Health forms to my office as soon as possible.
Directory Update
An update to the directory is coming soon. Several families went missing and a new family was not added. If you need to update any information that is in the directory, please let me know as soon as possible.
Tooth Box Report – Just for Fun!
What an exciting start to the school year. Kayla Valenta (3rd grade) came for a tooth box before lunch and Andrew Robinson (4th grade) lost his tooth in the afternoon. Lucy Walton (1st grade) has a wiggly tooth but it is still holding tight. Two tooth boxes left my office on the first day of school – what a great start.
Labeling Clothing
Please remember to label your child’s clothing, including outer wear and sweaters. Identification will help keep their items out of lost and found.
Signing In and Out
Please remember to sign in and get a visitor pass when visiting or volunteering at the school. Please also remember to sign out and return the visitor pass to the reception office. Susanne Johnson is tracking our community service for the National Association of Independent Schools. Your volunteering is a large part of our community service. Thank you! | |
|
|