| In this column: | | From the Head of School * Facilities & Transportation * What's Happening Around School |  |
| From the Head of School | | John Huber
In the last issue of Bits I wrote about the topic of success after failure, how we want to build resiliency in our children while battling our parental urge to make their paths less difficult. I was brought to mind of this again this past weekend, when I woke up on Saturday and saw the forecast.
Rain.
At that point, about the last thing I wanted to see in the weather forecast was more rain. I also knew that the “occasional drizzle” forecasted would turn out to be more of a steady, soaking rain (which it did). Frankly, I was tired of rain. This past month seems to have been soaked with rain, and if my internet searches have found accurate information, we’ve received more than 10 inches in Germantown, and more than 13 in Poolesville in September alone.
So what did we do over the weekend? We changed our plans to deal with the weather. My older sons’ soccer games and lacrosse games got cancelled, which gave us unexpected free time. We split some firewood, sorted items for the Barnesville Basement, took down the window air conditioners, and enjoyed some time reading by the fireplace. We even managed to play a few rounds of hearts (I came in second). All things considered, a rather joyful and less frenzied weekend than had been originally planned. And while I was originally not so thrilled with the additional rain, it did wonders for the leeks in my garden.
Rain hasn’t been a deterrent here at Barnesville, and we’ve embraced the fact that it’s just part of the deal. Rain for our Back to School Ice Cream Social? No problem – we’ll bring it indoors! Rain for our middle school field trip to Calleva? No problem – we’ll still head out and take part in the activities! Much like those in upstate New York and Chicago who accept that snow is a given and continue on, we’re doing a very good job finding joy in the face of additional inches of rain. And we’ll still try to find a way to get outside when we can to take part in the outdoors.
So maybe rain feels like our continuing challenge right now. But if we’re trying to teach resiliency, we won’t fret about a few raindrops, and we’ll find ways to achieve our goals in spite of the additional precipitation. Just tell your son or daughter to dig out that raincoat, pull on those boots, and be ready for whatever weather may come! | |
| Facilities & Transportation | |
1. Several weeks ago, a Barnesville parent was involved in an accident at the Barnesville/Peach Tree Road intersection. A big thanks to first responder Barnesville parents Dr. Walton and Dr. Pappas. I do not need to remind you that this is not an easy intersection to navigate. Several years ago, Montgomery County Department of Transportation conducted a safety study at this intersection, and the results prompted additional signage from all directions. Thankfully, our student was safe as mom had him appropriately restrained in the car. It is the law, that all individuals in a car be properly restrained. As a reminder, every child under 8 years old must ride in an appropriate child restraint unless the child is 4 feet 9 inches or taller or weighs more than 65 pounds. Every child from 8 to 16 years old who is not in a restraint must be secured in a vehicle seat belt. Any questions, visit Maryland Kids in Safety Seats at www.mdkiss.org.
2. In the last Bits, I mentioned supervision of your children during after school activities. Again, I want to emphasize while watching practice or a game at our athletic field, please be aware of the whereabouts of siblings.
3. During AM drop off, some students are leaving vehicles before that vehicle makes the turn towards the front of our school. This is fine, but then the vehicle proceeds down the ramp onto incoming traffic. Please just take an extra minute to travel past the front of our school, and exit accordingly.
4. When picking up after 4 pm please leave ample space for our returning buses. The driveway space in front of the flag pole and the general parking area for our buses should free of any vehicles.
5. October 10 - 14 is Safety Week... Monday - a tornado drill, Tuesday - fire drill, Wednesday - Code Red drill, and Thursday - a bus evacuation drill. Code Red indicates an emergency that requires all areas of our buildings be secured (lockdown) and accounting for every student, visitor, and staff member. We also have Code Blue that indicates an emergency not requiring a lock down, but does require accounting for and supervision of all students. Lastly, we have a Code Yellow meaning a Triage Team is needed for a medical emergency.
- Parents it is extremely important that you speak to your youngsters emphasizing that the tornado and code red drills are only drills, and they are not to be frightened during these exercises.
- Barnesville has an emergency phone blast system which is always tested during our Code Red drill. On Wednesday, October 13 at about 9:30AM, expect your Barnesville contact phones numbers to ring.
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| What's Happening Around School | | Congratulations to 2008 Barnesville Graduates and current Poolesville High School Magnet Seniors Kevin and Eric Harrison who have been nominated as National Merit Scholar Semifinalists!
First All-school Assembly
On Monday the entire student body had the opportunity to attend an assembly featuring the group Cantare, who introduced our students to the beautiful songs and rhythms of Latin America in an exciting interactive performance. Drawing from the musical heritage of the Caribbean, Central and South America, Cantare performed songs in Spanish and Portuguese, while sharing the music's cultural and historical background. The students learned about the history of Latin America and the different cultures that shaped their music - Native American, European and African - while becoming familiar with the languages, rhythms, and musical instruments from the different countries. View photos from the assembly in the Photo Gallery on the website.
7th Grade Interprets Robert Cormier
 Robert Cormier, author of I Am the Cheese is a master of simile/metaphor, two literary devices that use comparisons to create vivid images for the reader. The 7th grade Language Arts students interpreted some of their favorites! A few pieces are exhibited in this newsletter and they are all on display in the middle school hallway!
8th Grade Field Trip
The 8th grade will head to the Frederick Rescue Mission to participate in community service by serving lunch to the homeless this Friday, Oct. 8. They will work with the Frederick Rescue Mission several times throughout the school year.
Congrats to XC Team
The Barnesville Cross Country team ran very well at our home meet on Monday, Oct. 3. Thanks to all of the people who cheered them on! The course looked great thanks to Mr. Bernie and Mr. John. The Barnesville School placed third out of five teams.
Results:
Joy Reeves, 6th place
Gordon Reeves, 8th place
Isabel Markoff, 14th place
Ali Nichols, 19th place
Anne Hundertmark, 20th place
Abby Smith, 22nd place
Gretchen Hundertmark, 29th place
Congratulations to the entire team for a job well done!
Coaches Dave and Jill Reeves | |
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| | In this column: | | Important Dates * Auxiliary Programs * Photos * Admissions Corner * Notes From Mrs. Nave... | |
| Important Dates | | October
12: Barnesville Basement Drop-off, 3 - 6 pm
13 & 14: Barnesville Basement Drop-off, 8:30 am - 6 pm
15: Barnesville Basement, 8 am - 3 pm
16: Barnesville Basement, 10 am - 3 pm
20: Noon Dismissal; Parent Conferences
21: No School; Parent Conferences | |
| Auxiliary Programs | | Lynda Forman, Auxiliary Director
The Barnesville School is buzzing with activity every afternoon after school. I hope your child was able to get involved. Registration for the next session begins in December.
Schedule Updates:
- The LAND group will not meet this Friday, Oct. 8 due to the observance of Yom Kippur.
Upcoming Events:
- Details are coming soon for special holiday workshops.
- Plans for Summer Camp 2012 are underway! We hope to see you for some fun in the sun!
As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please email me. | |
| Photos | | Picture day on Wednesday was a great success. The students did a fantastic job of following instructions and the photographers were very impressed. Special thanks to our parent volunteers who made the day run smoothly: Paula Russin - volunteer organizer; Kate Polozie; Yvette Petterson; Michelle & Ted Williams; Sabrina Kontner; Karen Klemow; and Paola Self. The photographers were very appreciative for your assistance as are we.
Photo packages will be ready in three to four weeks and include: a class 5x7, and one individual 8x10 & 5x7, two 3x5s and eight wallets. Information on how to order more prints will be available in the package. Make-up/retake photos are scheduled for Nov. 30. Please contact Kristen Carter if you have any questions. | |
| Admissions Corner | | Susanne Johnson, Director of Admissions
Thank you to all of the parents who joined us last week at the Middle School parent meeting, "Looking Ahead to High School." John Huber and Vicki Roos shared a wealth of information and tips on how to navigate the High School Admissions process.
To directly support our 8th grade students, Tara Barnhart has dedicated time in her Language Arts class to review essay writing and interview skills. In fact, I will support her by conducting mock High School Admissions interviews.
We look forward to our graduating class, once again, attaining 100 percent acceptance to their #1 choice for High School! Best of Luck Class of 2012! | |
| Notes From Mrs. Nave... | | Conferences: Oct. 20 – 21
Conferences begin at 12:30 pm on Thursday, Oct. 21 after the noon dismissal for students. Friday, Oct. 21 is a no school day for students; conferences start at 8:10 am and continue until 3:10 pm with a break for lunch. Please email (preferred) or call me to schedule your conference with your child’s teacher/teachers. Include the day you would like and the name of the teachers. I will arrange your schedule as best I can and email you back for approval.
Kids Club and Childcare on Conference Days
On Thursday Oct. 20, Kids Club begins at 12:15 pm and ends at 6 pm. Families may enroll their children in Kids Club for the usual fee with advance notice to me. Childcare is also available at no charge for the duration of the conference only. If care is needed leading up to the conference, this will be provided for a fee as part of Kids Club.
On Friday Oct. 21, there is no school for students, and therefore no Kids Club. However, childcare is available without charge for the duration of the conference only.
When scheduling your conference time, please let me know your childcare needs.
Tooth Box Report – Just for Fun!
In the past two weeks only one tooth box left my office in the hands of Toby Arcuri in first grade.
Labeling jackets, sweater, and other clothing
Please remember to label your child’s clothing. It will help keep their items out of lost and found. | |
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